London Bridge
by AlphaTheGriffin17
Summary: Children missing. Rivals emerging. Pasts returning to the present. Mike and his nighttime friends have a lot to contend with this time around. Perhaps even too much... Synthetic Saga 5
1. Where Have All The Children Gone?

**Where Have All The Children Gone?**

Not for the first time in quite a while this past week and a half, Mike had difficulty getting a decent night's (or in his case morning's) sleep. It hadn't been coming easily to him, although the same might be said of any time he had started working at Freddy's. But a certain development that had occurred last week had really put his thoughts in a spin.

During the day and while he was working at night, he tried to do what he could to keep his mind off it. But when he lay down to sleep, when it was quiet, it all came creeping back to him. Not just the words he'd read the day that it had happened, but the memories and feelings they brought kicking and screaming that he had tried so hard to keep buried.

But even here, in an apartment that he had secured a tenancy for by himself, he'd managed to pick himself up a roommate. She wasn't exactly someone who could pay rent or that he wanted his landlord knowing about, but her company was something Mike was both grateful for and exasperated by, something that he was reminded of when he heard her voice through his phone next to his bed.

"Good afternoon Little Borealis! It is currently half past two on this glorious afternoon and you're listening to Midas Radio with your host with the golden touch, Goldie! The temperature outside is a brisk four degrees and I know those clouds are looking pretty gloomy, but take heart, folks because those long nights are getting shorter again which means spring is around the corner. I don't know about any of you, but I've already picked out my swimsuit for summer which is sure to be turning heads… in the direction of the eye doctors." She laughed while a wolf whistle sound effect played. And now, we've received another call from this station's biggest fan and patron, Mr Mike Schmidt. Hey, good to hear from you, Mike. You have any words for our listeners, Mike?"

"I'm listening to this against my will…" he groaned.

"Isn't he just a gem, folks? Let's give our Mike a big hand!" The sound of applause played. "We'll be right back with news for you, at the top of the hour. Now, for a very favourite song of mine. With how cold it is outside, I think we can count on Mr George Michael to raise the temperature a bit with little more than a… Careless Whisper."

Mike indeed felt his cheeks warm a little while the saxophone that could be best described as sultry began to play, manifesting images in his mind of half lidded gazes shared in a shady motel room. He pulled on his dressing gown and stepped into the living room where, as he expected, his TV was on with Goldie on its screen. She was swaying in time to the music, dressed in a shimmering golden dress that clung to her muscular frame with a slit in the side that showed off one of her powerful legs.

"Well hey there, stranger," she greeted in a breathy voice. "What's a man like you doing in a place like this?"

"Getting breakfast," he answered, trying to show he wasn't being bothered by her display.

"You don't say." The camera zoomed in on her face and she winked. "Come with me and I'll get you breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner. If you know what I mean."

"Um you um, don't need to do that," he muttered.

"You're right. Let's skip straight to dinner."

"But uh…" He coughed and felt his face grow warmer. "I uh, I'm n-not that hungry."

"That's okay. Neither am I."

"O-Oh. So uh… uh w-what do we do?"

"Well…" She licked her lips. "I might be in the mood for some… _dessert_."

"Oh God," he moaned, hiding his face in his hands. "Why me?"

"Because, Mike," she said, adopting her usual voice and a flicker of the screen later, her usual clothes, "teasing you is far too easy and far too fun. I can see why Bonnie takes such enjoyment in it."

"Remind me again why we're friends?" he asked.

"Because I'm so intelligent, witty, sophisticated, talented and so overall wonderful that your life would just be so much duller without me in it?"

"Oh yeah. That," he deadpanned.

"Plus, your apartment was the only one I could get with a flat share on my budget," she shrugged.

"You don't even pay rent."

"Well it's not my fault I'm having trouble finding work. I'm perfectly qualified but everywhere just refuses to hire me," she complained. "Just because I'm non corporeal it's apparently okay to discriminate against me."

"Is it too late to put you back in storage?"

"You missed that boat long ago, Mike. Remember, you made this choice and you're stuck with me."

"Yeah. I am." He dropped his sarcastic tone and gave her a genuine smile. "I'm glad I am."

"You flatterer," she said, returning it.

"Okay, I think I'll get a shower first then get some breakfast," he decided while moving to the bathroom.

Goldie clapped her hands. "Oh goody! My subscribers have been waiting some new footage!"

"What?" Mike asked.

"What?" she replied in almost the same instant.

"You said-"

"Don't know what you mean."

"But-"

"Nope, nothing of the sort."

"But you-"

"Mike, I really don't know where you get these ludicrous thoughts from. Now, go on and have your shower," she ushered.

Mike didn't know if she was joking or not. But as he went into the bathroom and the last thing he saw and heard of her before he shut the door was her singing along to the chorus while playing the sax when it came in, he was sure of one thing: she was right that his life was less dull with her around. Her and everyone else they knew.

After washing and throwing on an old t-shirt and jeans, he set down to have some cereal with Golden while she sat in her own 'apartment' on the TV. It was the one from Friends.

"Should I meet you in Central Perk after this?" asked Mike jokingly.

"Yeah, come on by. Phoebe's got a new song she wants to show us." She dipped her toasted soldiers into the egg she had. "Hey, out of the people we know, who do you think would best fit in to the characters in the show?"

"Hmm." Mike pressed a finger to his chin. "That's a bit of a tough question."

"Well you'd be Ross easily."

"Aw what?" Mike complained. "Why am I Ross?"

"You can't deny there are certain similarities. Besides, would you rather be Joey?" she challenged.

Mike thought for a moment. "Good point. Fine, I'll take Ross. I think uh, Foxy would match Joey best."

"Mike!" gasped Goldie. "In what way do you mean by that?"

"W-Well you know, he's always cheerful a-and sincere and he e-enjoys acting," he justified.

Goldie raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're not saying he's stupid?"

"N-No!"

"Okay, okay, but I will say it's suspicious how defensive you're being," she teased. "Hmm, not as easy with everyone else. Bonnie plays guitar like Phoebe but her sarcasm makes her more like Chandler. Plus, she doesn't have enough childhood issues to be Phoebe."

"Yeah and Freddy doesn't really match anyone. I mean, you could be Monica but if I'm Ross that would make you my sister and not Freddy's. And what about Chica?" he added.

"Well, we need a Rachel for your Ross," she smirked. "Just try to have less of the 'on-again, off-again' aspect and stay together because everyone knows that breakup isn't permanent and never will be."

"Goldie…" he muttered.

"Come on, you two are actually managing to hold conversations now. You enjoy talking to her and it's clear she does too. I can safely say you're much better friends than previously and hey, you never know where it might end up going."

"I… I don't know…" he said quietly.

"Why not?" she asked.

"You know why," he replied, looking away.

"Yes, I know why." Her voice became firm. "Mike, I stand by what I said from what I learned being friends with you- you can't hold on to the past forever. Sooner or later, you have to let it go. You have a chance to try and move on."

"I don't want to talk about this now," he said as he stood up to take his bowl back to the kitchen.

"You may not want to, but Lidiya does," argued Goldie. "This could help resolve a few things for you, maybe help you let go. I know it's hard, but if you just-"

"Goldie, I said not now," he responded harshly. "Not now. Please."

"Mike…" She looked like she was considering persisting, but in the end sighed. "Fine. I'll drop it for now. But my point still stands."

He didn't say anything in response. He just silently washed out his bowl while mentally cursing away. Cursing Goldie for bringing this up. Cursing Lidiya for getting back in touch with him now, of all times and in some small way coming back into his life. Cursing himself for what had happened… how could he face that again? He'd been fine before. There was no need to, Goldie didn't know what she was talking about. Her situation and his were completely different, he didn't have to do anything. It wasn't like he'd tried to kill her like she had done and they weren't working together or something.

He didn't have to do anything. That was what he told himself. She hadn't sent any other messages since that one and she probably wasn't really expecting him to either, otherwise she would have sent more than one. He was fine, they were fine, there was nothing to be done. That was all there was to it. Goldie didn't know what she was talking about. She didn't know…

He clutched his head and rubbed his temples. He didn't want to think about this again, there was no point. He needed to clear his head. He grabbed his jacket from his room and slipped on his shoes without undoing his laces.

"Heading out?" asked Goldie. "As long as you are, drop by Freddy's. A peak at Aaron's schedule told me we're getting a new dayshift guard in for an interview."

"W-We actually found someone?" asked Mike in surprise.

"It seems so and considering our relative lack of applicants and the desperate nature of the situation, Aaron may just hire him on the spot. So go on, say hi to the newbie," she suggested.

Mike nodded slowly. "Yeah, I might do that. See you, Goldie."

"Until next time, Mike."

He walked out into the streets. It was that moment of transition towards the end of winter when things were still cold, but the warmth of spring was starting to push against it. Mike didn't mind spring, but he always preferred the colder season. When he was a kid, it had given him an excuse to stay inside where he preferred to be, either reading or playing video games.

But despite the coming of spring, the feeling in town wasn't exactly relaxed. There was a subtle change in atmosphere. People walked at a more brisk pace. Those with children were making sure they didn't stray very far from their sides. Most prominent were the increased frequency of the same five faces on posters asking anyone if they'd seen them. Mike practically had their names and faces committed to memory at this point.

Katie O'Malley. Robert Fitzgerald. Max Boyle. William Davies. Martha Foreman. All around the age ranges of seven to thirteen years old, all local kids and all missing for the past seven weeks. Despite the relatively small size of the town, the police had had little luck in finding them. The only thing they had to go off was they had all been last seen near Freddy's and were considered regulars.

The police had done an investigation a few weeks back early on. It involved a brief search of the restaurant and questioning all the employees, Mike included, but hadn't turned up anything at the site and no one had anything useful to say with regards to the children. But even though they'd been cleared, the townspeople had grown more wary of the restaurant the more time had passed. That was why Mr Johnson had decided to expand the security force and reincorporate the day shift guards. With the stigma surrounding both Freddy's and the night guard position, they'd had difficulty finding candidates.

If Mr Johnson had found someone willing to take the job, Mike hoped he was up to it. It might not make much sense, but he felt partially responsible for those kids. He could have walked past them at any time working at Freddy's and never looked at them twice. He only hoped they were okay.

"Hey, you! Hold on a second there!"

Mike froze and turned. He felt even more apprehensive when a police officer approached him. The local force wasn't very large since the town wasn't either, with only around a dozen officers according to Goldie. As such, Mike recognised at least by face this one from the time the ex-guards had broken in and from the way he was looking at him, he recognised Mike.

"You're the night guard at Freddy's. Schmidt, wasn't it?" asked one of them.

He was a stocky man with thinning dark hair and lines of stubble over his hardened face. Not only were his muscles thick but he was also a head taller than Mike. This combined with his expression and tone plus his authority as a cop was enough to make Mike nervous.

"Y-Yes, sir," Mike nodded.

"Hmph," he snorted. He nodded at a poster that was next to them. "Know anything about this?"

He shook his head. "N-Not much, o-officer. S-Sorry."

"That so? You don't see anything fishy going on when you're at work?" he persisted in a way that sounded like he was accusing Mike of something.

"N-No it's uh, it's usually p-pretty quiet," Mike told him.

"Oh yeah?" He took a step closer. "Because you know about all the stuff people say about your little place of fantasy and fun. That mess back in '87, the stuff those weirdos who broke in were spouting. I even heard there was something that happened at the place before Freddy's. You know about that?"

"N-No," Mike admitted feeling both surprised at this news and nervous at the intensity of his questioning.

"Yeah that's because they tried to keep it hushed up, smooth over the cracks." His eyes were boring into Mike's. "I really hope that's not what's happening here. You wouldn't be lying to an officer of the law, would you Schmidt?"

"N-N-No!" Mike's hands were shaking now and the rest of him soon followed suit. "I-I would never-!"

"Quick to defend yourself there, Schmidt. You sure there's nothing you want to tell me about these kids? Nothing you might know?"

"N-N-Nothing, no, I-I-I d-don't know a-anything! I-!"

"Yeah, you don't know anything." He shoved Mike with a finger and with another pointed to one of the photos. "You see that kid there, Max Boyce? He should be at home, sitting in his room and reading a new book while his parents are making him dinner. But he's not. Instead they're wondering if their little boy is ever going to come home. Them and all of those other parents. You have any idea how that feels for them or how those kids must be feeling? Lost and scared or maybe worse? Do you?"

Mike was unable to form any coherent sentence at this point. He was stuttering parts of answers while the officer looked like he might grab him and shove him against the wall. He hadn't done anything! Why was this guy getting on his case like this? He silently begged for something, anything, to get him out of this.

"Blake, lay off him!" Another officer came striding up, a dark skinned woman with a lined face and closely cropped black hair. "What the hell do you think you're doing? This is a public street, not an interrogation room!"

"I was only asking him if he knew anything, Wilson," defended Officer Blake.

"Oh, so I guess he was just shaking from joy and whimpering from excitement was he?" she challenged. "The guy clearly doesn't know anything about this. How about you give him some space before he has to go home and change his pants?"

Blake glowered at Mike again, but he stood away from Mike. He tried to walk past Officer Wilson but she held out an arm and stopped him. She fixed him in a steady gaze.

"You're not the only one who wants to find these kids, Blake. I get what you're feeling, I do but if you don't keep that in line then you know what's gonna happen. You understand?"

"Monica-!"

"Do you understand?" she repeated in a firmer voice.

His fists started to clench but he gave her a jerky nod in response, then he stalked away. She watched him go and turned to Mike with an apologetic look.

"Sir, I am so sorry for my colleague's behaviour. You okay?" she asked.

"Uh… m-mostly," answered Mike. "Just uh… well…"

"Yeah, I can see that," she nodded. She took out a notepad. "Would you mind telling me exactly what happened? It needs to go in my report so he can be reprimanded."

"Uh sure." He recounted the event for her, then when she was done he asked, "W-Why did he do that? I-I didn't do anything."

"It's nothing against you. He's a good guy usually, just sometimes he can get a little carried away." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "He knows one of the families of the kids that went missing, the Boyces. That doesn't excuse his behaviour though, he was way out of line. I'll be sure to let the chief know."

"Th-Thanks. H-Has there been any uh turn-ups? A-About the kids, I mean. Like, anything?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, Mr Schmidt, I'm not at liberty to discuss an official investigation with a member of the public."

"Right, right, s-sorry. I um, I was o-only hoping you'd be able to find them."

"Yeah. We all are." She let out a tired sigh and she put on a professional smile that did nothing to hide the worn look in her eyes. "Rest assured, Mr Schmidt, we're doing everything we can to find those kids. Hey and for the record, I think that if you've got robots like those things helping you guard that place, I'd say that it's pretty much on lock."

"Oh." Mike wasn't completely sure what she meant by that. "Y-You think so?"

"Well, I was kind of on the receiving end of one." She rubbed the back of her neck. "That bear's really got a grip."

"Huh? Oh!" Mike remembered what she was talking about. She was the officer Freddy had almost escorted out in the aftermath of the break-in. "R-Right. Uh, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. Just my dumb luck for standing so close." She tipped her hat to him. "Apologies for holding you up, Mr Schmidt. Have a good day and keep an eye out for those kids? You see anything suspicious, report it straight to us."

"Y-Yeah, I will," promised Mike and set off again, sincerely hoping he would never run into Officer Blake again.

When he arrived at Freddy's, he noted the lack of cars parked outside and the noise coming from the dining room was quieter than he been used to following Foxy's return. In fact the only two people he saw were Susie on the front desk and the janitor Harvey sweeping the floor. It was almost like when he first started working here. Mike was happy to say hello to a friendly face though and approached the front desk.

"Hey Susie," he greeted brightly.

"What?" she snapped in an uncharacteristically sour tone.

"O-Oh." Mike faltered. "S-Sorry I'll uh, get out of your-"

"No, no, Mike, I'm sorry." She breathed deeply and rubbed her head. "Sorry, just… just a little tired, that's all." She managed a small smile that didn't match the look in her eye. "It's alright, I'm just tired."

"Um…" Mike was hesitant to ask at first. "Is uh, i-is your being tired th-the same as me feeling uh… 'yeah'?"

She laughed a little at that. "Maybe it is. But hey, don't worry about it. I'll be okay. We'll get through this."

"I wouldn't count on that," Harvey scoffed harshly, taking his brush through to the dining area.

"Thanks for the optimism, Harv!" she called, though her voice's joking tone wavered slightly. "Don't mind him, he's just being grouchy. Even talked about making this his last shift, if you can believe it."

"Believe it," Harvey's voice called back.

"Wouldn't be the first time!" she countered, though she didn't sound entirely convicted. "Hey, did you hear? You're not going to be the only boy in blue around here for much longer."

"H-How do you mean?" asked Mike, though he knew exactly what she was referring to.

"We finally got ourselves an applicant for the day guard position! He came in just a few minutes ago. Seems kind of young but I think he's just what we need around here right now. How about you wait here for him so you can say hi?" she offered. "If it's anything like when you applied, he might be down in the next minute or less."

"You uh, you don't mind?" asked Mike.

"No, go ahead. It's not like we're busy at the moment." Again, there was the slight falter in her light hearted tone.

"O-Okay." Mike leaned a little more on the desk. "So uh, what can you tell me a-about the applicant?"

"Getting a feel for the possible competition?" she teased. "But yeah, he seems like a pretty nice guy. Looked really excited about having the chance to work here too, I didn't even manage to catch his name because he was in such a rush to get to Mr Johnson's office. It's weird though, I get the feeling I've seen him somewhere before."

"W-Well it's a small t-town," reasoned Mike. "E-Everyone's probably s-seen everyone at some p-point."

"I guess you're right about that. I just wish I knew where. Ugh, it's gonna bug me all day until I get it," she groaned.

"I-I'm sure you'll get it." Mike drummed his fingers for a bit. "How's uh… how's Wendy?"

"She's pretty much the same as ever," she answered. "Been a bit busy at the children's home for her than it usually is but she's doing well with it. It's made her a little bit crankier but nothing I'm not used to."

"Ah. G-Good," nodded Mike. "I-I um… I'm still n-not sure she uh, she l-likes me very much."

"Mike, I already said not to take that personally," she reminded him, though not harshly. "It just takes her a little longer to open up to new people I'm friends with. Come out with us again a few more times or even come round and see us and she'll ease up around you, I promise."

"O-Okay," replied Mike, not completely convinced.

While she had put on a smile for his little birthday outing and made polite conversation, he could still remember her rather mistrustful looks she gave him. Plus she didn't engage at length in talking to him and had excused herself halfway through the evening saying she had work to do, despite Susie trying to get her to stay. He hoped he'd be able to get along with her. He didn't like upsetting people or making problems for them.

"A-And uh," he followed up, "i-is everything e-else good w-with you? Like, recently?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Like I said, just a little tired with everything that's been going on," she repeated with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Uh… a-are you sure th-there's n-nothing e-else? I-I m-mean, w-with what's h-happened with uh… w-with those ki-"

"It's fine, Mike," she insisted, putting on a bigger smile. "Don't worry about me. How's things with you?"

"Uh yeah, they're um okay," he said.

"Better than bad. Any news on the romance front?" she asked teasingly. "Perhaps some progress on that special someone we talked about?"

"I um, I d-don't know a-about that," murmured Mike. "W-We're p-pretty good a-as just f-friends right now."

"Well after what you told me about what happened with her on Valentine's, I think it's great the two of you are able to still be friends following it," she said. "And if you don't think there's anything to develop beyond that, I might be able to help get you in touch with someone."

"W-Wow, you'd d-do that?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course! I'll be your official matchmaker!" Her smile fell when Mike flinched and looked away. "Hey, what's wrong? Was that going too far because if you don't want me getting involved in your personal life like that, that's fine."

"N-No, it's not that. I-It's uh…" Mike's voice became quieter. "I-It's what… w-what L-Lidiya u-used to say t-too…"

Her hands clapped over her mouth. "Oh Mike, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of that."

"I-It's okay," he dismissed. "Y-You didn't know."

Mike hadn't talked to Susie about Lidiya very much since their conversation on Valentine's Day so her knowledge of her was nowhere near like what Goldie knew, but when Susie had asked for her name Mike felt she should at least know that.

She put on a sad frown. "I don't even know much about this woman, but she really must have been someone special to you if you're still hurting after all this time."

Mike only nodded, but didn't respond. Memories echoed faintly in his mind of her laughs when he made a joke or the way he held her when she was crying…

"I know it's hard Mike, but my advice to you still stands. I'm sure anyone else would tell you the same thing." Again, Mike said nothing to that, not wanting to admit he knew she was right. "And if there's anything you ever need to get off your chest, get in touch."

"Th-Thanks but I'm…" He stopped himself. "A-Actually, there is s-s-something I think I-I should t-t-tell you." She didn't say anything, but she nodded to show she was listening. "I-It's about… a-a-about Lidiya. It uh… i-it happened a-a couple o-of weeks ago. On uh… o-on my birthday… she… w-well…" He hung his head, unable to get the words out.

"It's alright, don't rush yourself," she assured. "What happened?"

"O-Okay… sh-she… she uh… she g-got… sh-sh-she sent…"

New noises in the background made him stop. They both looked around at the sound of people coming down the stairs. Two voices were talking. One belonged to Mr Johnson, the other was one Mike recognised but couldn't place.

"N-Never mind," he muttered and turned away, not wanting to make it seem he was distracting Susie from her work.

He glanced back at her. She looked saddened, but otherwise didn't press further and resumed being ready to greet non-existent customers.

The voices were coming closer and the source of the other one was bothering him. He knew he had heard it before but he couldn't place it. Only when they came into view did his eyes widen in realisation.

"… ruddy marvellous you're able to start right now, Jeremy," Mr Johnson was saying happily.

"Hey it's no problem, Mr Johnson," replied the young man with a proud grin. "Just need to find somewhere to change and I'll get right on…" He trailed off when he saw Mike. "Oh hey! I thought I might run into you here!"

"I-I didn't think it'd be you!" Mike returned the smile and shook his hand when he offered it. "Uh g-good to see you again! J-Jeremy yeah?"

"You got it and you're Mike?" He fist pumped when Mike nodded. "Yes, nailed it!"

"So you two know each other already eh?" asked Mr Johnson.

"Uh yes sir," nodded Mike. "We ah, met on the bus once a couple weeks back. Glad to have a chance to work here?"

"You know it! My mom wasn't too happy about it, but I finally managed to talk her into it. With everything that's been happening lately, I wanna do my part to help so…" He held up his security uniform and tapped the badge. "Looks like I'll be seeing you around a little more, huh?"

"Looks like it," agreed Mike. "Uh, w-welcome aboard. You need t-to know anything, just say."

"Yeah, Mike here's practically a vet of the security guard post. The only one who didn't run screaming out the door on the first night," joked Susie.

"Alright Susie, that's enough. I know you like to have a chinwag but you've also got a job to do," reminded Mr Johnson.

"Yes sir, right." She reached to shake Jeremy's hand. "Welcome to the team, kid. Like Mike said you need anything, come hit me up too."

"Thanks again but you don't need to worry about me. I've had experience in this kind of thing before." He paused. "Well, it was a part in a play as a guard but how different can it be?" He gave them both a wave and went to change into his uniform while Susie went to answer the ringing phone.

Mike turned to say hello to Mr. Johnson, but his boss was already returning to his office upstairs. He frowned at this. The man had never passed up a chance for at least a small chat before. He'd barely even looked at Mike or spoken to him. In the end, Mike dismissed it. This was a stressful time for everyone, Mr. Johnson more than anyone. Perhaps another time.

He stepped into the dining area to see what was happening. It was a disheartening sight that there were fewer children here than there had been since Freddy's had got back on its feet. Even so, the synths were still working to put on a show for those that were. Freddy caught sight of Mike and waved him over.

"Hey there ol' buddy!" he greeted, clapping Mike's shoulder when he came over. "Hope you're having a Faz-tastic day!"

"Th-Thanks, Freddy," winced Mike. "You uh, you guys are going to be getting a new guard here i-in a few minutes."

Chica gasped happily. "Oh that's wonderful news! We'll be sure to make him feel welcome."

"Aye ye can guarantee that!" put in Foxy when he stuck his head out of his cove.

"I knew you would. B-Be nice to him, Bonnie," he warned.

"Mikey, please," she scoffed. "I've seen Chica be sterner than that."

"Bonnie," she warned, planting her hands on her hips.

"See?"

"Yeah well…" He trailed off and made moves to leave. "A-Anyway, you guys have a good day. I mean uh, Faz-tastic."

Freddy chuckled appreciatively but Bonnie just groaned. "Just leave now, you're only making it worse!"

With the scattered laughter of the children in his ears, Mike left for home while feeling somewhat comforted that through all of this, at least he still had them.

* * *

Hey folks! My sincerest apologies for such a long absence. Real life has been catching up with me and I've been in a bit of a writing funk recently and have only now gotten myself out of it. Mostly anyway. This is just fair warning that, for this one, progress is going to be slow. There are some details that I'm still mulling over and I may even be going back to previous stories to slightly alter some things so it works out better in the long term.

But rest assured knowing that I am back at work on these stories. I can't promise frequent updates, but I am working on them. Good to be back.

Be strong, be swift, be just.


	2. Out of the Bear's Cave

**Out of the Bear's Cave**

It was with a feeling of comfort and security that Mike had when he locked up the restaurant for the beginning of the night shift. It was like that with all the stresses and worries that he had during the day, he didn't have to think about in here. He just had to spend time with the synths and have some fun. How could anyone stand to be in any other job?

However, when he walked in to the dining area, the atmosphere wasn't what he was hoping to feel. There was no chattering among his friends. They were all quiet while they removed their disguises. They all looked preoccupied with something and not by pleasant thoughts. Bonnie especially looked quite sour.

It didn't take the likes of Sherlock Holmes to deduce why they might not be in the best of moods. Still, Mike thought it best to try and inject a little lightness into the scene.

"Evening everyone!" he greeted with a smile. "Great night tonight, huh?"

"Well gee willikers, mister! It sure is!" remarked Bonnie in a sarcastically happy tone while she yanked off her suit left leg. "Maybe later we can all hop to the lemonade stand and you can ask Mary-Ann out to prom!"

Mike held up his hands. "Whoa. Laying it thick on the uh, sarcasm Bonnie? Heh…"

"Oh no, I'm sure as shooting serious Mikey," she went on. "With how hunky dory everything is, why wouldn't I be?"

"Bonnie, that's enough of that now," Freddy tried to say gently.

However, she wasn't put off. "And hey then we could play hide and seek with all the other neighbourhood kids. I mean, it seems like it's what they're all playing at the moment and they're so gosh darned good at it too! Makes you wonder if they're ever going to find them!"

"Bonnie!" This time it came from Chica, glaring at her friend. "Stop it, right now!"

It looked like Bonnie was about to follow it up with something else, but she held her tongue at the expression on Chica's face.

"Cheeks, I… hey, I was just messing around."

"Yes, Bonnie, we know that's how you usually prefer to deal with situations like this. But in this case, you should be more careful with what you say. This is a grave time for all of us. Whatever you may be feelin', be rest assured we're all feelin' it too," said Freddy.

She folded her arms and looked away. "Whatever. Guess I'm just the bad guy again."

"Belay that!" roared Foxy as he came bursting out of his Cove, making Mike jump. "Yer not a bad guy, Bon!"

"Oh yeah?" she asked in a challenging way.

"Aye. Yer the worst guy!" he said in the same upbeat voice.

Bonnie blinked. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. She blinked again.

"Uh… what?" she finally asked.

"Aye, ye heard me. Yer the worst," went on Foxy. "Seriously, the absolute worst of the worst. There are insects and beasts that thrive in the deepest and darkest-a crevices in the harshest lands that'd feel uneasy around ye. The devil himself chucked right back out the jaws-a hell 'cause ye were too much of a handful fer him."

None of them really knew what to say in response to all of this. They could tell, Mike included, that Foxy was leading up to something. Sure enough, he had more to say.

"That's why he set someone beside ye who's just as bad, if not worse. Whose job it is ta keep ye in check, ta make sure that no one but a select few are ever exposed ta the kinda vile things that common folk should live in blissful ignorance of."

"And that would be…?" By the smirk beginning to form on her face, it was evident she knew the answer.

Foxy grinned. "Me! Ha-har!"

"Alright. Alright." She hopped off the stage and began to approach Foxy. "So, I'm the worst but you're just as bad. That about right?"

"In a nutshell, aye."

"But you also think you might be somehow worse than me?"

"Seems that way ta me."

She stopped in front of him. "Yeah, well, see that's where you lost me because I don't think there's any way you can be worse than me."

"That so?" He locked eyes with her. "And how do ye plan ta back up them claims, long ears?"

"The only way the worst would, peg leg." She clenched her fists. "By knocking you into the dirt."

"Oh aye? Who says it's goin' ta be ye doin' the knockin'?"

"Okay, we've now crossed a line!" Goldie strode out of the backstage room, the animatronic she controlled still clothed in her old suit. "It's remarkable because right now, I'm not sure what's thicker: Bonnie's marmite-like sarcasm before or the latent sexual tension between you two."

"HUH?!"

"WHAT IN BLUE BLAZES?!"

"I did not need that image!" cried Mike.

"Perv!"

"Oh like you don't have it too!" he retorted.

"Oh my goodness," murmured Chica, her cheeks tinted blue.

Freddy shook his head. "Really, Goldie? Why on earth would you bring up something like that?"

She shrugged. "What? These two have squabbled from when you were little more than streams of data code to the first time you emerged soaking wet from your tubes. There's only so much that you can chalk up to typical competitive behaviour without also wondering if there might be something much deeper."

"Oh god stop!" begged Bonnie. "Now all I can think about is… ugh NO!"

"I second that," chimed in Foxy. "Don't think the decks in me head could be swabbed enough ta purge them images from me mind."

"Really? Hm. I suppose that means that I'm the worst then," she said brightly.

"What?!" Bonnie stared at her incredulously. "Are you serious?! You just said that to win an argument that you weren't even part of?!"

"Well it was either that or let you two descend into fisticuffs over it. My actions may be controversial but ultimately, I acted with the greater good in mind."

"How can ye say it was fer the greater good with what ye just said about me and Bonnie there?!" cried Foxy.

"And that's another reason why I'm obviously the worst. Was I really acting in terms of the greater good or was it just in my own self-interest? My motives will forever remain ambiguous and mysterious," she said whilst waggling her fingers for emphasis.

"Oh yeah? Well here's something less ambiguous." Bonnie looked at Foxy. "Wanna team up to take her down?"

Golden's demeanour slumped. "Ah. I didn't consider this eventuality."

"Now that sounds like a fine idea," agreed Foxy.

He pulled out his hook hand to exchange for his actual hand. Bonnie cackled and slammed a fist into her palm as the two of them closed in on the AI.

"Now, before you two do anything hasty," she said, backing away, "I should point out that this animatronic is very expensive property of this establishment."

"They can foot me the bill after I put my foot through your face," dismissed Bonnie.

"Ah, Mike? Mike? Isn't it your job to, you know, stop this kind of thing?" she tried.

"Hmm." Mike pretended to consider. "I don't know. This could be a good lesson for you that the things you say and do can affect everyone around you. I mean, it's a lesson I've had to learn plenty of times. Don't you think so, Chica?"

"I completely agree, Mike," she nodded. "You should really think more carefully about your actions and words before you go through with them, Goldie."

"But…" She looked from Mike to Chica, then to Freddy. "Freddy, dear sweet brother. You wouldn't let them hurt your sister, would you?"

"I suppose not," he replied.

"So you'll help me?"

Bonnie and Foxy stopped their advance, gazing warily at Freddy. He stared back at them with an unreadable look on his face. Chica and Mike both exchanged looks with each other, silently deciding to take a step back. At around the same time, Freddy strode off the stage to stand next to his sibling, his expression still blank while regarded Bonnie and Foxy.

"And suddenly the odds look a little better for me," remarked Golden. "Now, what were you two about to do?"

"Now, hold on there, skipper," Foxy said. "Ain't no need fer this ta escalate any further."

"Wimp!" hissed Bonnie.

"Do ye want ta try yer chances against him?" he retorted.

"We could take them!"

But the two stopped their bickering when something happened that they didn't expect. Freddy extended an arm behind Golden and shoved his sister in the back with enough force that she fell to the ground with a crash. He then planted a foot on top of her so she couldn't get back up.

"No! Brother, why?!" cried Golden.

"Oh." Bonnie looked at the scene in surprise. "Hey, nice one boss!"

"Aye, ya really- oi what's this now!"

When Bonnie and Foxy approached Freddy, at the same time he plucked them both by the scruffs of their necks, lifting them with only a grunt of exertion. They tried to struggle free, but they only dangled in his grip.

"Okay, what even?!" demanded Bonnie.

"This is gettin' utterly barmy!" declared Foxy.

"What is happening right now and should I actually be doing something to stop it?" Mike whispered to Chica.

"I don't know and I wouldn't really try. It might just be best to let it play out now Freddy's involved. Besides, I just got an i-d-eaaaa," she sang with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What are you…?" He stopped when Chica quickly shushed him, but still with a cheeky smile.

She directed his attention back to the scene at hand. When he did look back, Mike could hear footsteps moving behind him but he didn't turn around. He was curious to see where this went.

"Now, if you want to know the real answer to this lil' debate that you've all gotten yourselves mixed up in, I think you'll find that you only have to answer one question." Freddy cleared his throat and in a tone of immense smugness, he asked: "Who's the bear?"

"Aw come on!" cried Bonnie.

"I thought we were past this!" complained Foxy.

"That's precisely what I led you to think," chuckled Freddy.

"This is ridiculous! I was never even involved in these when you used to do them!" said Golden from the floor.

"Which is high time I thought you should finally be included, dear sister. Now, if you'd like to regain full use of all of your faculties, I will ask you again: who's the bear?" he repeated.

"Skipper, do ye really have ta-?"

"One more time, I ask you: who is the bear?"

They all muttered under their breaths.

"Who are you talkin' to, the mice? Say it so the rest of us can hear!" urged Freddy.

"You are!" they chorused.

"I am what?"

"The bear!"

"Now that's more like it." He unceremoniously dropped Bonnie and Foxy and stepped off Golden. "Let's see here. Abuse of physical power and leadership in order to further establish my own authority and forcing my fellows to agree to something against their wills. I'd say that's fairly strong evidence of myself bein' the worst and don't you forget it."

"You too? What next, is Mike gonna get in on this?" asked Bonnie.

"I do have a taser," reminded Mike.

"Anyone else feel like joining me in another coup to overthrow this corrupt leadership?" suggested Golden as Foxy helped her up.

"Just tell me where and when, lass," chuckled Foxy. "But I think it's fair ta agree we're all as bad as each other. 'Cept for Chica a-course."

"I guess," shrugged Bonnie. "Not much fun in that though."

"Would ye rather be dangled by Freddy again?"

"Good point," she conceded. "Fine I guess that, apart from Chica, we're all pretty much the worst. Except Mike because he's definitely the absolute worst since he's a perv."

"Are you ever going to stop saying that?" groaned Mike.

"Not as long as it keeps being true," she replied.

"A-Actually, I think you'll find that I'm the worst," piped up Chica, sounding like she could barely contain herself.

"Huh? Why do you say…?" Bonnie stopped when she realized what Chica meant. "Oh god… please tell me what I'm seeing isn't true!"

Chica stood in front of Pirate Cove. She wore a huge grin on her face while also wearing Foxy's hat and coat and carrying Bonnie's guitar. Freddy's cane was dangling off her arm by the hook.

"I took these while you were all caught up in everything!" she said proudly.

"This is certainly an unexpected turn of events," remarked Freddy conversationally.

"Clever girl," murmured Golden.

Bonnie stared in disbelief. "But Cheeks… why?"

"To teach you not to underestimate me," she giggled. "After all of the time I've spent being friends with you and Foxy, did you really think I wouldn't have picked up a few things?"

"What have we done?" Bonnie collapsed to her knees in despair. "We've corrupted this innocent soul."

"And here's the proof ta all-a them daft pirates that said women have no place on a ship!" chortled Foxy. "Fine work, Chica me lass! Fine work indeed!"

"High praise from you, captain," she said with a little dip. "Now, can you live up to your title and reclaim what's been taken?"

Foxy grinned. "Is that challenge? Because that sounded like a challenge ta me."

"Come and get them then!" With that, she took off down the hall at surprising speed for someone so small.

"Tryin' ta outrun me? Ye've gone and done it now, lass!" Foxy took after her at full speed.

"Hey come back here!" Bonnie pursued too. "For the love of god, Chica do not drop that guitar!"

Golden, Mike and Freddy just watched and laughed at the sight of Chica giggling with glee while she led Bonnie and Foxy on a chase around the restaurant. Foxy chortled like he was having the time of his life, while Bonnie continued to beg for the return of her precious guitar.

"Ooh, I forgot something." Chica swiped Mike's hat as she ran past him and slapped it on her head. "There we go!"

"Hey! Stealing an officer's hat is an actionable offence!" he called after her.

"So go ahead and arrest me, Officer Schmidt," she teased before sprinting off to escape her pursuers.

Mike went to stand next to Freddy and Goldie but didn't try to chase after her, mainly because he knew there was no way he would ever be able to catch her. He just shook his head and laughed when Bonnie tried to dive at Chica only for her to step out of the way so she collided into Foxy going in the other direction.

"This certainly looks like it's goin' to be an eventful evenin'," Freddy said to Mike.

"Looks like it," agreed Mike. "Better than what it was before anyway."

"All things considered, yes," he nodded, then motioned Mike silently to follow him backstage. He and Golden both did, closing the door behind them. "I can only imagine what their parents must be goin' through. Those poor children…"

"Yeah. How are they all holding up about it?" asked Mike.

He sighed. "They have their own ways. Some days it gets to them more than others. The best we can do is hold onto the hope that things'll work out in the end."

Mike knew what he meant by that. As expected, each of the band members were treating the disappearances differently and reacted a certain way if the subject was on their minds. Bonnie had her usual brand of sarcasm, but it usually turned more unpleasant if it continued unfettered. Foxy was the most optimistic or at least appeared to be, usually the one to say the children would be found safe and sound. Chica was the most sensitive on the subject. She couldn't stand the thought of something bad happening to the kids and clearly wanted to believe they would be found. At the same time though, it was hard to accept that with how long it had been.

The two bears were a different case in that Mike wasn't completely certain what they thought about it. Golden had mentioned how she was reviewing camera footage from public surveillance and keeping up with police reports of the investigation but she had little to say on what she thought about it. When asked, it was often the vague response that she had 'ideas' and said nothing more to add to that.

Freddy had even less to say about it. At least in front of the others. If signs started to show that the subject was weight heavily on everyone, he'd be the first to suggest an activity or conversation that deviated away from it or he would endorse in Foxy's optimistic appraisals. Like his sister, he said little about what he thought about this whole thing.

As if he knew what Mike was thinking, he spoke up again. "I have to be honest with you, Mike. Whatever ultimately becomes of this children, it won't reflect well on the restaurant. At best, they'll be found safe and sound and their parents, along with others, will be more reluctant to let them come here. If by some cruel twist of fate they aren't, that'll be doubly true. Regardless of either scenario, it will take us a while to recover."

"You d-don't think the restaurant would end up closing, do you?" he asked worriedly.

"I hope not. But our history is not without blemish. We all know about '87, but then there's also the two break-ins here and at the warehouse, along with the rumours surrounding the night guard position before it was filled. Then there's what happened at Fredabear's," he added.

"There was never anything as bad as '87, but there were a few near misses with Spring's erratic moods," chimed in Golden. "It was another reason why Freddy's was established, to give it a fresh start after Spring was permanently decommissioned. The worry Freddy and I, along with others I'm sure, is that all of this compounded with the disappearances, it might be the last straw for some people depending what happens."

"No…" Mike dreaded the idea of that happening. "What would happen to all of you?"

"I pray we never find out. That's why it's so important, now more than ever, that we hold on to the hope that we'll pull through this." He lent across the table. "I know I can count on you to help keep everyone's spirits up, Mike. We cannot let despair overcome us."

"Of course," said Mike at once. "But uh…" He trailed off, not sure if it was his place to say anything.

"Go on, son," prompted Freddy. "If you have somethin' to say, don't be afraid to."

Mike rubbed the back of his head nervously. "O-Okay. It's just uh… we can't exactly avoid talking about it a-all the time either. I-It's pretty much all everyone talks a-about and like you said it uh… it affects us all greatly."

"He has a point, Freddy," agreed Golden. "I know your way of doing things is to avoid sensitive or upsetting topics and I know you feel responsible for everyone, but they're not children and they're not stupid. They know how bad things are right now. I think it best to show you acknowledge it from time to time, but be sure to give them that hope too."

"Hmm." Freddy thought for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you both of you. Yes, it's a good idea. No sense ignorin' the elephant in the room and we might as well give reassurance that he isn't goin' to start tramplin' things."

"Sounds good." Mike was quiet while he listened to the antics of the other three outside. "Is it weird to think that, you know, we're p-partially responsible for what happened? I-I mean, these kids all came to Freddy's on a pretty regular basis."

"It's not weird at all, son. I have similar feelings. In some way, I think we all do," he admitted. "The moment they walk through those doors, the children are our responsibility. I like to think we not only keep them entertained but safe as well. It weighs heavily on me to know they went missin' practically on our watch. If I had any say in the matter, I'd be out there helpin' in the search myself."

"I know you would," said Golden, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't hold yourselves responsible for what happened to those children. You only work the night shift, Mike and I know you and everyone else will have done everything you could to guard them while they were here, Freddy. The police, as hard as it might be to believe are doing all they can and I'm keeping myself updated on the investigation. If anything comes through, I'll let you know. All we can do now is stay strong and hope for the best."

Mike smiled proudly at her. It was hard to believe that a few weeks ago, this was the same entity determined hurt them in whatever way she could whether by words or physical blows.

Freddy beamed sincerely back at her. "Very true. Thank you, my sister."

"Anytime, my brother. It seems like I came back at the right time. However did you manage to survive this long without my guidance and wisdom?" she teased.

"Actually, I found it to be quite a relief when you were gone. After all, you always were very…" The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Oh, I know that look. Whatever it is you're going to say, don't you dare say it," she warned.

"What do you mean? I was only goin' to say you were very-"

"Don't!"

"Over _bear_ ing."

"No!" She slammed her head against the table. "It's not even funny! It's the same pun over and over again! Why do you still do it?!"

"Way I see it, it still gets some sort of reaction," he chuckled. "Come on, let's head on back out and see if things have resolved themselves."

When they came out, Chica still had the things she'd managed to swipe from everyone except Goldie. Foxy appeared to have given up the chase though Mike had a feeling it was more just so he could watch Bonnie make bids for her guitar rather than being unable to catch Chica. It seemed the temporary loss of his hat and coat was worth it for a good laugh at Bonnie's expense.

Both women were now near the stage. Chica stood on it while wearing Bonnie's guitar over her shoulder and pretending to play it. Bonnie was on the restaurant floor feet away from her though she was making no attempt to grab her prized instrument.

"You know, I can see why you enjoy this guitar, Bon," remarked Chica casually. "It feels rather empowering."

"Chica please, just give it back!" she pleaded while on opposite sides of a table. "I'll do anything!"

"Anything, you say." Chica tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Let's see… I could ask you to clean the kitchen for a week. Or longer perhaps."

"Chicaaaaaa…!"

"Get you to give Foxy a little kiss on the cheek," she pondered. "If only to see your reaction to it."

"When did you become so cruel?!"

"It would teach you for teasing me about Mike. Ooh, I've got it! I want to see you…" She let it hang in the air before delivering the punchline. "In a dress!"

Foxy guffawed at that idea. Bonnie stared at her friend incredulously which she returned with a cheeky smirk of her own.

"You can't be…!" She groaned loudly. "Fine, I'll do it!"

"Not just for a few minutes. I want you to wear it for a whole evening," she clarified. "Maybe a whole week? No, no just an evening. I'm not that mean."

"Fine, fine, whatever! Just gimme back my guitar already!"

"If we're agreed, then here you go." She handed back the instrument which Bonnie swiped at once. "And before you say anything about not having something in your size, don't worry. I'm sure we can arrange something."

Bonnie didn't reply. She firmly turned her back on Chica.

"Bonnie? Are you okay?" she asked. "You're not mad with me… are you?"

This time, her response was to glare at Chica out of the corner of her eye and begin trudging in the direction of the storeroom she frequented when in a poor mood.

"B-Bonnie, wait. I was only playing around, I didn't mean to…" She trailed off when Bonnie could be heard snickering. "Hey! Don't do that!"

"Okay, okay, that was jerkish of me," she admitted. "Sorry, Cheeks. No hard feelings?"

"O-Oh!" She seemed surprised, but also relieved. "Good. I-I mean yes, no hard feelings. Great!"

"Sweet." Bonnie lightly punched her shoulder. "I'm legit pretty impressed. I never figured you'd have it in you."

She perked up. "Really?"

"Yep. Now when I eventually get you back for this, I don't have to feel bad about it."

"Oh, I see." Chica laughed at first. "That's a joke. You are joking, right? B-Bonnie?"

The rabbit woman merely smirked and patted her friend on the head before meandering back to everyone else, Chica tottering behind her with a concerned look on her face.

"So where'd you lot wander off ta?" asked Foxy of Goldie, Freddy and Mike. "Ya missed a grand display the likes-a which I doubt we'll see again anytime soon."

"We were uh just talking about Jeremy. You know, the n-new guy?" said Mike quickly, not wanting a dire atmosphere to set back in again.

"Oh aye!" Foxy nodded approvingly. "Now there's a lad with some spirit ta be sure. Thought he seemed a bit green around the gills at first, but he's taken ta the job like a fish does ta swimmin'."

"I like him too," put in Chica with a little giggle. "He said he had a hard time telling which was sweeter, me or my cupcake and an even harder time telling which was cuter."

Bonnie shrugged. "Yeah, he's cool I guess."

Goldie laughed. "Oh come now, Bonnie. You're not peeved because he managed not to lose his cool when tried to do your tough woman act?"

"When he came in, she demanded of him what he thought he was doing," Freddy explained to Mike. "To which the young man, without batting an eye, retorted: 'I'm doing my job. I know since you're clearly not familiar with it, it looks weird to see someone actually do it."

"To which Bonnie responds by coming over to shake his hand in welcome, obviously wearing a joy buzzer at the same time. I thought Jeremy would fall for it, until he suddenly asked if there was a scratch on her guitar. He made a huge fuss over it too, to really sell his performance," continued Chica.

"Sneaky little punk," said Bonnie, though it was with admiration. "He managed to slip off the buzzer in the confusion and turn it around on me when he shook my hand. Then he grins and says thanks for the welcome before leaning in quick and whispering that I'm gonna have to try harder than that. Well, challenge accepted, Fitzgerald. Been a while since I had a feisty one."

"I'm honestly not sure who to place my money on. If I had any," added Golden.

"May the best of you win," wished Freddy. "Yes, I have a feelin' that Mr Fitzgerald will fit in just fine in our little family."

"Good to know," said Mike a little stiffly. He couldn't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy at how easily Jeremy had managed to fit in.

"Don't worry, Mike," assured Chica, appearing to sense this. "You're still our number one night guard."

"Even though I'm the only one?" recalled Mike.

"Yep. That's what makes you even more special." She gave Mike one of those smiles that made his heart quicken a little.

"Aye, ye'll always be me first mate, Mike," said Foxy. "Jeremy's a fine addition ta the crew, but I'll never ferget who first set us a better course again."

"Yeah…" He smiled gratefully at them. "Thanks guys. I'm fine, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried," dismissed Bonnie. "Personally I think Jeremy's a better deal. You think there's any way we can get your shifts switched?"

Mike didn't lose his smile. "You say that, but we know you'd miss tormenting me."

"Hmm, good point," she admitted. "It's nice to know Jeremy's gonna give me a challenge, but I like to have the easier option too."

"I knew it. So, what do we feel like doing now?" asked Mike.

"How about a round of our lil' game?" proposed Foxy. "It's gotten a new feel ta it since Goldie started joinin' in."

"Only because she uses her abilities to give you guys another edge over me," grumbled Mike.

"I prefer to see it as making it a more challenging experience," she countered.

"A grand idea. And everyone?" Freddy looked like he was gearing up for an announcement. "These are dark times, to be certain. We're all worried for these five missing children and possibly even the future of our home. You have good reason to be. But I take heart in one thing, my friends: we are together, all of us. I mean, just look at tonight. Despite all the hardships we are and have endured, we're still able to find strength in each other as we have always done no matter how bad things might seem. I remain confident that will continue to be the case. I look at the ways you've all grown since we got back on our feet and I couldn't be prouder of each and everyone here. Together we'll make sure this remains a magical place for all. So to you all, I say: on with the show."

"I'll drink ta that!" cheered Foxy.

"You can count on it," smirked Bonnie.

"I'm always willing to do my part," promised Chica.

"Me too," vowed Mike. "I'm here for you guys whenever you need me."

"As are we, my friend," promised Freddy. "We'll get through this. I know we will."

Golden didn't say anything, merely watched. When Mike looked her way, she nodded and he liked to imagine that if she could have shown it, she would have a smile of her own. Mike felt further emboldened at his friends staying strong as a family and to be included among them. It reminded him how lucky he had been to find them and how much he didn't want to lose them. But that would never happen… would it?

* * *

Arc of Carona: Thank you. I hope the same happens for you too.

Monkey999Boy: I certainly hope that won't be the case.

Andrew115342: Usually, yes. As am I.

Lavender Hope: Hope it's worth it!

SynonymRoll: They certainly have and I'd listen to that show.  
Is anyone really?  
Aww thank you! That's kind of what I was going for.  
Thank you, my friend.

ArchineerRob: I certainly aim to.

Moony: Joyous news indeed!

Bunny: Wow, that really happened?  
By what could I do better by? Where would say I needed to improve?  
That was the idea.  
Aww how nice.  
Bye.

Auto-Buscus: Good to be back my friend and yes, life has a way of doing that sadly.  
I'm sure he appreciates that.  
I certainly wouldn't be able to handle it.  
That's the idea hiring him.  
Looks like we'll have to wait and see.  
It's her speciality.  
I enjoy the show too but I came in later.  
Again it's good to be back. Happy to hear I've had a hand in that.

Alice-the-Hatter: It's good o be back. Leased ha yo're enoying.

Mobslayer2205: I am back huzzah! And maybe, maybe not.


	3. Cracks

**Cracks**

Mike had decided once again that he didn't want to hang around in his apartment during the day. At least not for too long. He'd woken up with so many thoughts fluttering about in his mind like so many butterflies and they'd persisted throughout the early afternoon. So he did what he had been doing recently when this had happened: gone out for a wander around town.

Goldie hadn't been there to either object or support his course of action. She would usually be there to greet him when he woke up, but that wasn't always the case. If something happening on the cameras at the restaurant captured her interest or anything else for that matter, she would stay to observe it and tell Mike about it later. Or she might not. It was up to her. So it was that Mike walked about without much direction through the streets of Little Borealis.

Mike had never really given the town a whole lot of thought. It was a nice enough place as a traditional American small town with all the basic needs. A few restaurants, local businesses, a public school. It had a few titbits of local history that Mike found out about from a trip to the small museum the town had. Apparently the guy who discovered it thought it was a continent further north of the world and so named it after the lights that danced in the night sky. But like most explorers in those days, he was off by a few thousand miles of ocean.

There wasn't much else to it though, so it was probably a good thing there were bus services to the slightly more interesting city of Greater Borealis further inland and to the seaside with its various attractions that brought in a steady enough revenue of curious or bored travellers. And Freddy's of course, drawing interest from its unique eating experience and history of notoriety. Recent events certainly added more to the latter.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind, Mike passed another set of missing posters plastered on the wall of a construction site on the main road leading to Greater Borealis. The faded, fixed smiles of those kids and their eyes staring straight at him… Mike didn't linger at the spot too long. It felt too much like he was being watched. Accusing him like that Officer Blake from yesterday. That feeling of responsibility still lingered, even in light of Goldie's assurances that Mike had nothing to do with their disappearances. He knew it didn't make any sense, but he couldn't help it.

He ended up sitting on a bench across the road from the site, facing a side of it that thankfully wasn't covered in posters. He stared briefly at it. He vaguely remembered something that Goldie had mentioned a while ago about a secret construction project going on in town. There were no other sites around so this had to be it. It looked like it was almost finished. He wondered what it might be and if it was the case, why it was being kept under wraps. Maybe Goldie knew something more about it? He made a mental note to ask her at some point. He'd probably forget about it though. It was just a building site after all, even if it was a secret one.

He took out his phone and opened his inbox. No kind of messages from the AI, one of his few regular correspondents at the very top with a response from Mike to an ongoing chain of messages about the inherent value of cat videos. The only other recent messages were from his mom making sure he was washing his clothes regularly, his dad telling him he'd lost another sock, Susie giving the location and time for his birthday outing and of course…

He opened this particular message again. The one from Lidiya, suggesting that they meet up. Six weeks since he got it and he still hadn't replied to it. Even reading it now, he got that same weak-kneed feeling he had when he first read it. Good thing he was sitting down this time.

The implications from it were staggering. That she'd messaged him at all, after over three years. That in all that time, she'd kept his number. That she might be somewhere in town, right now. That she might have been for a while and they might have walked past each other without even noticing. That she wanted to make some kind of amends. After all this time…

So many questions too that Mike wanted to know. How had she heard about him? Maybe the reports about everything that happened with Freddy's? What had she been doing? Did she manage to get good work in mechanical engineering? Had she always been here or was it only a recent development like with Mike? Had she been thinking of him the same way he had in all this time? Was she still with _him_? If she wasn't, was that what this was about? Did he still want that?

There was a way he could get the answer to all of these and others. All he had to do was reply to her. It was that simple. His finger hovered over the button that would let him start to compose a response to her message. It stayed there for a solid minute. Then he hit the button that brought him back to the message screen instead. He let out a long sigh and put his phone back in his pocket, pressing his face into the palms of his hands.

He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. Why did he have to be such a coward…?

Mike jumped when he heard his ringtone go off. For a wild moment, he expected the caller ID to be Lidiya, trying a more direct approach. It was a mixture of both relief and disappointment he felt when it belonged to Goldie.

"Hi there, Mike!" she greeted in an uncharacteristically high pitched and perky voice. "This is a call to say congratulations! You are a winner!"

Mike couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his mouth. "Am I?"

"You certainly are! Come to us at the address we've forwarded to you so you can claim your prize of a thousand dollars!"

"Right." Mike checked his messages quickly. "This is the address for Freddy's."

"Indeed it is!"

"I don't think Freddy's has a thousand dollars to give away."

"Oh?"

"And neither do you."

"Oh." A pause. "I could get it though."

"Did you get a job that I don't know about?"

"I was thinking of less legitimate means. I mean, everything is done online these days. Give me a week and I could come up with something."

"Uh Goldie? That's called stealing. It's kind of against the law," reminded Mike, standing up from the bench and setting off down the street again.

"Ah yes, that thing. But it could be done."

"Goldie…"

"No, I'm serious. There's so many big corporations in America alone and they draw in so much money. So many rich big shots making their fortune off the hard work of their underlings. I take fifty cents, maybe a dollar from all of their accounts over the course of a week and it all adds up. They'd barely even notice."

"Yeah, right." Mike considered this. "You're… you're not serious, are you?"

"Mike!" she cried dramatically. "How could you even think I would do such a thing! I am a paragon of virtue! My moral compass is straight and true! You truly think that I would do such a thing? For shame, Mike. For shame!"

"You're right, you're right, of course," Mike conceded. "I'm sorry."

"So you should be," she huffed. Silence lingered for a few seconds. "I'm joking of course."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. A week more than enough time. Give me two days."

He sighed. "You concern me sometimes, you know that?"

"That just means you care. So, out and about for your half an hour of fresh air and exercise? Did you remember to bring your ball so you have something to chase after?"

"Are you comparing me to a dog?"

"It's a favourable comparison," she defended. "Dogs are friendly, sweet and loyal. If anything it's a compliment."

"Dogs don't throw their own balls."

"Wouldn't this world be such a special place if they did? In all seriousness though, is everything okay, Mike?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just uh, just thinking," he replied. "You know, about e-everything."

"That's a lot to be thinking about. Anything a little bit more specific?"

"Just the usual stuff. R-Recent events, let's say," he answered, glancing at more posters along another stretch of wall he passed by.

"Of course." Mike waited but she didn't add anything else.

A question occurred to him or perhaps it was already there and he only thought now to ask it.

"Goldie, what do you think? A-About the missing kids, I mean," he clarified.

"A lot of things," she said vaguely. "Why?"

"Just that uh… y-you haven't really s-said much about it. I-I mean, you're f-following the investigation a-and everything but um you haven't uh, said a-about any ideas you m-might have. A-At least not with the others."

"I see." She was quiet for a while. "I do have some ideas. None of them are what you would call comforting, though. Certainly not for them. I know that if I did talk about it to the others, it would likely further heighten their anxieties about the whole situation. They're not exactly concrete ideas either, mainly a few suspicions I have. It's best I keep it to myself for now, until I know more."

"I… I understand what you mean. B-But what about me?" asked Mike. "Y-You let me talk to y-you about my worries. I-It's the same for you. That's uh… that's what friends do. I-I mean, you don't have to but… i-it's there if you want it."

For the second time, Goldie was quiet for a while. "Are you sure you want to know, Mike? This could easily apply to you as well."

"I… I'm sure," he said. "T-Talking helps, you know? I mean, you do a lot of it."

"Mike, are you saying that I talk too much?" she asked playfully.

"I didn't say that. I said you talk a lot," he corrected.

"Well, with a voice as rich as mine and eloquence so enchanting, I can hardly keep myself quiet and deprive the world of such pleasure, can I?"

"It would be a great crime," agreed Mike. "So uh, care to share?"

"Very well then," she conceded. "I don't really want to go into too much detail. Like I said, a lot of my ideas are based more on what you would call hunches, but I suppose I could use another perspective."

"Go ahead," prompted Mike.

"Well, think about this, Mike. A few months ago, those ex-night guards broke in attempting to gather evidence to support their claims, yes? Then a week passes and they break in to the warehouse where I was stored and switch me back on."

"Yeah. W-What are you getting at?" he asked.

"Well, I didn't think about it too much at the time. As you know, I had other things on my mind. But now that I've had the time to step back and look, there's a few things that don't add up. Namely, how did they know where I was being stored? My existence is a closely guarded secret that only a select few are aware of. How did five average vandals know enough to know where I was, what I was and how to reactivate me?"

"M-Maybe they just found you b-by accident and turned you b-back on by mistake?" suggested Mike.

"Unlikely. There's a procedure that needs to be followed to bring my systems back online. They couldn't have done that by just pressing random buttons on my main AI core. They knew what they were doing and where I was being kept. Someone had to have told them."

"I guess but uh, what does that have to do with the missing kids?" asked Mike.

"Because as you pointed out to me, Mike, they started to go missing not long after I was reactivated. Like I said, it's just hunches at the moment but I think that too much has happened recently for this to be…" She trailed off. "What's all this then?"

"What is it?"

"Wait a moment, Mike. I'm looking at one of the security feeds. Something's happening here. There's a group of people here at the front desk. Parents, I think. They're…" Her voice became urgent. "This doesn't look good. Mike, I think you'd better get here and fast. Susie, the poor woman, she looks about ready to burst into tears and this crowd is looking very ugly."

"W-What?" Mike started to cast around for where he was in relation to Freddy's. "What are they d-doing?"

"Shouting, waving their fists. This camera doesn't have audio pickup but I can tell that much. If these are parents, it's a pretty big bet for what this about. Where are you?"

"Uh a-about ten minutes away if I run," he answered. "B-But Goldie, you know I-I'm not good with things like this."

"Well right now, neither is Susie and she needs someone here to stand by her. She needs her friend. Mike, hurry!"

He heard the long beep of the phone being hung up and for about ten seconds, Mike was fraught with indecision. On the one hand, he wanted to help his friend. On the other, he was absolutely terrified of being on the wrong end of an angry mob. All those voices throwing harsh words at him, the anger in their eyes, on their faces. It was like a nightmare.

And it was one that Susie was facing alone. After all she'd done for him and he was left hesitating like a big coward. So, driven by a mix of guilt and loyalty, Mike ran for Freddy's.

There was another moment of hesitation when he reached the doors of the restaurant. He could see the group with their backs to him, around a dozen people. They blocked his view of Susie and the front desk. Only a moment before he ran inside. A few heads turned to look at him. Some of their faces flickered with recognition.

"Hey, isn't this the guy who works the night shift?" asked a tall woman with brown hair.

"Yeah, it is," confirmed a middle aged guy with balding hair. "Hey Ralph? Maybe this guy knows a few things _she's_ not telling us."

The man addressed as Ralph looked to Mike. From the look of him, he liked to work out with broad shoulders and thick arms that reminded Mike of Freddy's physique. It was enough to set his knees shaking, along with the look he gave him, along with a woman Mike assumed was his wife. Blonde, pretty for her age and looking like she'd been crying for a while. But there was no sadness in her eyes but the same anger as everyone else.

Yes, Mike thought, just like a nightmare.

"Do you then?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice. "Do you know what happened to my little girl?"

"I-I…" Mike had no idea how to answer that.

"Leave him alone!" protested Susie. "He has nothing to do with it!"

"Quick to defend him, aren't you?" noted Ralph's wife. "Maybe these two are in cahoots with each other. Watching each other's backs, is that it?"

"Yeah!" agreed someone else in the crowd. "Just what the hell goes on here after dark anyways?"

"I've swear I've heard noises when I come by here sometimes," brought up the tall woman. "At night when the place is supposed to be closed and the machines switched off."

"Uh I-I don't know w-what you m-me-"

"The hell you don't!" dismissed the guy who'd asked about what happened at night, a short but fierce looking man. "Maybe those weirdos that broke in here were onto something!"

"I always had a bad feeling about those damn robots," said another woman. "Just look what happened in '87 with that horrid fox one!"

"I bet that's what happens here at night!" suggested someone in the mob. "I bet they sic those things on people! That's what happened to those other guys before this one got the job!"

"And when they broke in here! I read the robots attacked them and the fox almost gutted the ring leader! He said so in an interview when they bagged them!"

"Yeah and didn't they say the robots in that warehouse attacked them too? And we let these things entertain our kids, be in the same room as them, with people like this weasel looking after them at night?"

"N-No, it's not like that!" Mike tried to protest but it was ignored.

The tall woman had something else to add. "What if it's not just the fox one? What if they're all like that?"

"Wouldn't put it past it, but that fox is the worst of the lot!"

"Don't forget about that freaky rabbit and what it did at the original place!" put in someone else. "That poor kid…"

"And now it's our kids that are paying! Kids like Ralph's and Georgia's little Martha! You hear that?!" shouted the middle aged guy at Mike. "You see what this place has done to them?! You should be ashamed to be working for them!"

They were all shouting at Mike now, coming out with more accusations and threats. Mike could just make out Susie through the crowd. Her attempts at quieting them were drowned out by the voices. She looked like she was about to lose it completely. Mike didn't blame her. He wanted to run, but he didn't trust his legs to not completely give out if he tried to move. He found himself taking more frequent gulps of air with every second that passed, could feel the angry people closing in all around him.

Until a new voice drew their attention.

"Everyone, calm down!" Jeremy strode to the front desk and faced down Ralph. "Sir, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you and your friends to leave."

"Are you?" He squared off against Jeremy. Even though he was a lot bigger, older and stronger than the young man, Jeremy didn't flinch. "What right do you have to say that to me?"

"This one." Jeremy thumbed his security badge. "You are actively harassing two restaurant employees and causing disruption to daily operations. I'm legally within my right as day time security guard to tell you to leave."

"You're all a pretty tight knit bunch, aren't you?" sneered the middle aged man. "What are you trying to hide here?"

"I'm not hiding anything and neither is this restaurant," replied Jeremy as calmly as he could. "Now again, all of you need to either calm down and leave or I call the cops and they can show you the door."

"How can you defend this place?" demanded Georgia. "Something has happened to my little girl and we know this place had something to do with it. I always had a bad feeling about it, we all did and now look what's happened!"

"Ma'am, I understand your-"

"Don't patronise me!" she spat. "You have no idea what me and my husband are going through and all those other parents! If you did, you would be here with us and not with _them_!"

"The hell I don't!" Jeremy yelled angrily, any attempt at professionalism gone. "You think you're the only ones who've lost someone important?! You don't see me walking up to the front desk and throwing accusations at this poor woman just trying to do her job!"

"What do you know about it?!" demanded Georgia.

"Hey, wait a sec. I've seen this kid around," said the tall woman. "Didn't you used to work at the 7/11? Jerry or something?"

"The name is Jeremy Fitzgerald, lady," he responded acidly. "And yes, I'm _that_ Fitzgerald."

A hush came over the crowd. Mike wondered what he was talking about, then he realised. One of the kids missing. Robert Fitzgerald. How had he not made the connection sooner?

"Oh my god." The middle aged man, along with a few others, started to look repentant. "Kid… Jeremy, I'm so sorry. We had no idea."

"No, you didn't. None of us do. None of us have any idea what happened to our kids. But this?" he gestured around at them all. "This isn't going to help find them. This isn't going to help bring them back home."

The righteous conviction they had was gone. Everyone was making an effort to look at anything except Jeremy, who folded his arms defiantly at them. Mike noticed now that some other people were watching the commotion, including some other families and the waiting staff. One of the waitresses had just arrived on the scene and approached Ralph and Georgia. The one who was always on her phone. She wasn't looking at it now though.

Ralph started towards her. "Anita-"

"Mom! Dad! What are you doing?!" she demanded. "What is all of this?!"

"Honey, please, we just thought-" her mother tried, but she was having none of it.

"No! I don't care what you thought! Just… just get out! Go!"

"But your sister-"

"GET OUT!"

If Jeremy's shaming hadn't done it, Anita's heart wrenching cry did. Gradually, the people dispersed with Anita's parents being among the last. Her mother tried to reach for her daughter, but Anita flinched away and stormed back inside the restaurant, pulling out her phone as she went. She started after Anita but her father took his wife's arm and shook his head. With Georgia looking like she was going to start crying, the two of them left.

One of the other waiters, the one who'd given her a card on Valentine's Day (Ken wasn't it?) called for her but she walked straight past him. He looked back at the retreating mob, then followed her. The kids watching were being ushered gently back by Chica who shared a quick look with Mike. He smiled sympathetically at her and he imagined she returned it under that mask. She moved back to the stage.

That was when Mike saw Foxy. He was peering through the curtains of Pirate's Cove. Even from here, even though he was wearing his mask, Mike could see the shame in his eyes and his hand faintly shaking. He wanted to go over there and comfort his friend, but the curtain fell back over Foxy a second later, obscuring him from view.

"Geez, that was some messed up stuff," remarked Jeremy. "You two both okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Not physically." Susie took a couple of deep breaths and plastered a smile on her face. "I'm fine, Jeremy. Words can't hurt you, right?"

"You sure about that?" he asked. "'Cause those sounded like some pretty hurtful words to me."

"I'll be alright." It almost sounded convincing that time, thought Mike. "Thanks, Jeremy. You really pulled me and Mike out of the fire there."

Jeremy still looked concerned about her, but he smiled back and tipped his security cap. "Just doing my job, ma'am. Whether rain or shine… wait, that's mailmen. Uh, can we say to protect and serve?"

"Nope, that's a cop exclusive," said Susie, her smile looking a little more genuine.

"Damn. Do security guards even have a motto?"

"Apart from 'god this is dull?'" quipped Susie. "Or 'was my butt this big when I started?'"

"Hey!" Jeremy glanced at his hindquarters. "Actually, now you mention it…" He laughed along with Susie and turned to Mike. "How about you, Mike? You okay?"

"Uh yeah. I-I'll be fine. Just uh… that w-was um…" He cleared his throat. "Uh th-that was pretty b-brave of you."

He shrugged. "No biggie really. I'm pretty used to getting in front of big crowds of people. I mean, usually they're a lot less hostile than that but like I said, just doing my job."

Despite how casual his voice and smile was, Mike could see something else in his eyes and it didn't take a social worker to know why. He was going to ask further, about Robert who was obviously his brother or other close relation. But he didn't get the chance to before someone else came over to congratulate Jeremy.

"Cracking job, Jeremy!" praised Mr Johnson, coming down the stairs to his office with someone else. "I had a feeling you'd be suited for this job and you've just proved it."

Mike watched the glowing smile that his boss had for Jeremy while he shook his hand and once again just said he was doing his job. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the young man. He knew it was stupid to feel that way, but when he looked back on how well Jeremy had handled the crowd compared to him stammering and stuttering at them…

"Yeah, good job, kid," added the guy with Mr Johnson. A pretty average looking guy, yet Mike felt like he'd seen him somewhere before. "Well uh, I'd better get going Aaron. Things to do, you know? Uh, see you on the flipside."

"Alright then," replied Mr Johnson as the guy left with a glance at Jeremy. "Right, enough bandying about. Let's get back to work."

"Sure thing, sir. See you, Mike and hey, Susie? It'll be okay," he said reassuringly.

She nodded and smiled gratefully at him before Jeremy returned to the dining area.

Mike made for his boss. "Mr Johnson, I-"

"It'll have to wait, I'm busy," he cut off rather sharply and returned upstairs without even looking at Mike.

Needless to say, Mike was both confused and hurt. He'd always been on friendly terms with the man and he never missed the chance to have a little word with Mike if he saw him. But that was the second time that had happened this week. What was wrong? What had changed? Was he really that stressed from these recent events or was it something Mike had done?

"Don't take it personally." It was like Susie read his mind. "This is a hard time, for every…" Her voice wavered a bit and she cleared her throat. "For everyone."

He'd never seen Susie like this. She was always so bright and chirpy and she was clearly still trying to be. But Mike could see the signs. Her smile didn't look the way it usually did. Her hair didn't look as well kept. Her demeanour was less upright than normal, more hunched and bent over. As much as she tried to hide it, it didn't really work.

"Uh, Susie? You're um… you don't look like you're uh, d-doing so good," Mike pointed out.

"Mike, come on. I'm…" She trailed off. She looked around and with no one else in sight, she said quietly, "I've been better."

Mike nodded. "I can tell. You uh, want to talk about it?"

"Not right now. Remember to smile, right?" She let out a half-hearted laugh. "Listen, I'm going to be taking a couple of days off. Brad's going to be covering me full time. Come see me tomorrow at my place, yeah? Then we can talk."

"O-Okay then," agreed Mike.

"I'll message you the address. I'll tell you all my woes and you can carry on with what you were going to tell me yesterday. Something that your ex did a few weeks ago?"

"Oh yeah. I-I forgot about that."

"I think we could both go for getting this stuff off our chests." She gave him a more genuine smile. "See you tomorrow, Mike."

"Y-Yeah. See you." With a heavy heart and the angry accusations of those people echoing in his mind, Mike left for home.

* * *

Hickorydaisy: That's okay, don't worry about it. Thank you.

Arc of Carona: Oh indeed?

Monkey999Boy: Nah, I'm good.

MajorVidGamer: Good to be back, man. Thank you.

NickinChicken: That seems about right for her and that thing about the viewers is just her messing.  
Thank you, I try.  
I feel the same way. They're besties, not lovers.  
I intend to.

neon lololol: She would likely corrupt everything on your hard drive and replace it with hardcore porn.

Moony: She's worried about the kids and reacting in her own way.  
Um, thank you?

Bunny: Yeah it was pretty fun to write.

Mobslayer2205: I shall say nothing.

SmokieCZT: Could be.

Auto-Buscus: He does know her the best.  
Yeah he's coming out of his shell a bit more.  
I would say so too.  
They won't be forgetting that in a hurry.  
Thanks man.

Alice-the-Hatter: I enjoy writing it.

Fairyhaven13: Your wish may yet be granted.

Foxdoc84: There you go!

Hey folks. Sorry again about the slowness of this one. Call it case of writer's block and a dash of real life added in. I have planned out every chapter though, so watch this space.

Be strong, be swift, be just.


	4. My Bonnie Lass

**My Bonnie Lass**

Mike didn't know for certain what the mood would be like tonight in the wake of the mob earlier that day. One thing he could say for certain is that one particular member of the band wouldn't be taking this well and it was confirmed when he heard her reedy voice shout in anger while he was locking up for the night.

"Those dumb jerks!" yelled Bonnie, practically flinging her suit head to the floor. "Who the hell do they think they are?!"

"They're just w-worried, Bon," murmured Chica. "They're s-scared for their children."

"Oh, so that gives them excuse to kick our door in and try to stir everything up?!" she retorted. "For god's sake, there were kids right there! Right _there_! What did they think that crap was going to get them?! All that stuff they were saying to Susie and to Mike?! They really think they did something to their kids, that anyone here even would?! If they were here right now, I swear I would show them all what they should really be thinking!"

Freddy tried to speak. "Bonnie, calm d-"

"No! No, I'm not calming down!" she dismissed. "Why aren't any of you more worked up about this?! It sounded like they were about ready to smash us to pieces! What if they'd tried to? What if one of them had taken a swing with a baseball bat or a metal rod and then found out that these 'robots' are just a little more fleshy than they'd like? Am I supposed to calm down then?!"

"That didn't happen, Bonne and that will not happen," answered Freddy firmly.

"And what about Foxy?" she went on. "Did you hear all that they were saying about him? Why do they think it's okay to start stirring that stuff up? Why do they still think, after all that's happened, that he's just a crazy murder bot when he isn't?! None of us are but now they all seem to be starting to think that too!"

"Bonnie-"

"And what did that one guy say? About the 'freaky rabbit one?' Are they talking about me now? I didn't do anything to their kids, I never have done! Where the hell are they getting this from?! I've never done anything!" She jabbed a finger at him. "If you hadn't held me back, I would have showed them!"

"Enough!" Freddy snapped. "I am not sayin' that their actions are excusable, but neither is your behaviour. Now would you kindly calm down."

Bonnie snorted. "Ooh, you're telling me, are you? You're actually trying to take charge again and not just wimp away in the back room?"

"Bonnie, I warn you, you're strayin' towards some dangerous territory now." He held her in a stony gaze. "Stop it, right now."

Mike gulped. This didn't look like it was going anywhere good. Chica looked like she was torn between trying to get involved or staying out of it. Goldie was watching from the backstage door, her expression non-existent. He looked to see if Foxy might step in like he did last night, but there was no sign of him. Mike certainly wasn't going to try and come between them so it seemed they had to let this play out.

"Yeah?" She didn't flinch and returned it. "Or what? Huh? What are you gonna do? Send me to my room without any supper? To sit in the corner and think about what I've done? You're not the boss of me and you're not-"

"Bonnie, no!"

She ignored Chica and pressed on. "You're not my dad!"

A frightened silence hung in the air. Freddy's eyes narrowed visibly and his fists clenched. Chica's hands had flown to her mouth and she stared in wide eyed shock. Goldie cocked her head curiously. Mike thought he saw the Cove's curtain flutter a little. Even Bonnie seemed to flinch when that had left her mouth, perhaps recognising for a moment that had been a step too far.

Before anyone could say anything or Freddy could respond, Bonnie turned and stalked off to the west hallway storeroom. They all flinched when they heard the door shut sharply. Goldie was the first to break the lingering silence that followed.

"Well, I won't deny that could have gone better but it could have also been worse? Right?" No one responded to that. "You know, glass half full perspective? Anyone? Okay then."

"Uh should someone go t-talk to her?" suggested Mike.

"Not just yet," replied Chica. "I think she needs a few minutes."

"Agreed. Best let the heat die down rather than fanning the flames. Are you okay, Freddy?" Goldie asked her brother.

"Relatively," he answered. "That woman. Always ends up lettin' the first thing in her head fly out of her mouth."

"It's always been how she deals with things. You know she doesn't really mean it, right Freddy?" asked Chica.

"I know." He sighed and looked at where she'd gone. "It used to be different. There was a time when she, you and Foxy just saw me as another member of the band, even though I was the leader. Then somethin' changed along the way. I stopped bein' able to connect with you all like I used to."

"Freddy, that isn't…" Chica trailed off. "Well, what I mean is… it's um…"

Freddy shook his head. "I appreciate what you're tryin' to say, Chica but it's true. You all told me so yourself that first week of my sister's return. It was somethin' I did myself."

"Brother, no," said Goldie softly. "The blame doesn't lie with you. It was my fault. My attempted coup practically thrust the role of sole leader of the synthetics onto you. You were forced to act and after I was gone, who else was supposed to take charge?"

"And how did I choose to deal with it? By lockin' myself away backstage and broodin' in the dark, hopin' things would get better. I'm a sorry excuse for a leader and I-"

"Frederick Fazbear, you stop that right now," Chica ordered in a surprisingly stern voice. "We've already had this conversation. None of us are perfect and we've all made mistakes. But we don't allow ourselves to dwell on them, not anymore. We've spent long enough doing that."

Freddy blinked at her with a rather bemused look. The smile that replaced it was sincere and warm.

"Yes, you're right. Forgive me, Chica. I shouldn't let myself despair like that."

"You're forgiven." With the moment gone, her usual demeanour returned and her cheeks tinted blue a bit. "Um, sorry if I came off as forceful there."

"Not at all. I needed that." He chuckled slightly. "When did you become so bold?"

"I agree. What happened to the sweet, demure Disney princess I used to know?" wondered Goldie.

"Th-they can be bold too," said Chica brightly. "Cinderella stood up to her mother, Jasmine refused to marry a man she didn't love and Mulan pretended to be a man to fight instead of her father. Maybe I'm just t-trying to be a little more like that too."

"Well I say good for you," nodded Goldie.

"As do I," added Freddy and Chica beamed at their praise. "Now, I think we've given Bonnie enough time. I suggest that someone go and speak with her. Chica, would you mind doin' that and perhaps Mike, could you look in on Foxy. He's been rather quiet so far tonight."

Normally, Mike would have agreed to that since it seemed to make sense. But remembering how Bonnie had behaved, getting angry at the mob on behalf of her friends being victimized by them, it reminded him of something. Something that he'd said her about a month ago before she had started her recharging cycle with the others.

" _I-I like this side of you. I-I mean um… I know how you usually are b-but… you stick up for people, Bonnie. For your friends. You look out for them, even though you a-act all… you know. I-I've never had a friend like that and… I d-don't think I could do it. So um, yeah. I like that."_

Even though she didn't have the chance to, Mike knew what she'd said about standing up to that mob wasn't just her venting hot air with hot words or trying to make herself sound tough. She meant it. Mike had always admired and felt a little jealous about people who exhibited that kind of bravery. He felt like he should let her know that and give something back to her. Even if she did call him a pervert a lot.

"A-Actually, Freddy I'd uh, like to talk to Bonnie. I-If you don't mind, Chica?" he asked.

They both seemed a little surprised at his request.

"Are you sure you'd be okay doing that, Mike?" asked Chica.

"Yeah. Y-Yeah, I will be," he affirmed. "I just uh… I feel like I should. I-I can't really explain why but uh… yeah."

"You're right. That explanation was terrible," remarked Goldie. "I think maybe an um and a couple more yeahs and uhs would have cleared that up nicely."

"Shut up," he muttered.

"But it's okay, he managed to save it with that brilliant comeback. What will this man think of next?"

"Alright Goldie, that's enough," said Freddy calmly. "Very well, Mike. If you feel you should, go and talk to Bonnie."

Chica gave him an encouraging look before he made his way towards the cleaning closet. He looked back to see Chica parting the curtains to Pirate's Cove and entering. Freddy watched from a distance before engaging Golden in conversation. He looked back at the door and immediately began to reconsider his decision.

What had possessed him to think he was prepared to deal with Bonnie in a bad mood? Should it be a point of concern that the trepidation he was feeling now was akin to when he first went to face Foxy? It's not like Bonnie was going to try and tear his head off… would she?

He shook his head, as if that would get the thought out. He'd faced off worse than this. Bonnie wasn't someone or something to be afraid of. If Mike could convince a guy who'd chomped on a man's head to return to entertaining children and deal with an artificial intelligence with a massive grudge and even bigger ego, he could do this.

He knocked, his hand shaking slightly. "H-Hey Bonnie. It's uh, it's Mike." No response. "You um… you doing okay?"

A little more silence, then: "Just peachy. Can't you tell?"

"Uh… not really. Am I uh, okay to come in?" he asked.

"Sure, whatever. Not like this door has a lock or anything," she replied bitterly.

"Still good to ask," he muttered and opened the door. Bonnie stood with her back to him, her arms folded. "Uh… hey there."

"Hey," she returned dully. "So, this is what I get for all that huh? They send you as a punishment. Do I really deserve this?"

"Oh come on," groaned Mike. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Do I even need to answer that?" She paused for a moment. "No. You're not that bad. I don't mean that."

"It's okay. A-And you're not either."

She glanced back at him, enough for Mike to see her raise an eyebrow. "Gee thanks, Mikey. That makes me feel better."

"No, no, wait! I-I mean, not that I think y-you're bad, I don't. W-What I mean is that… th-that you…" Mike wracked his brain for a way to turn this around but stopped when he heard her snickering. "Oh god, Foxy was right. You _are_ the worst."

"Heh, yeah I am. I am…" That last part didn't sound like she was joking.

"You uh… you don't really think that, do you?" asked Mike.

"Like you'd be the first to disagree," she murmured.

"W-What do you mean?"

She snorted. "Don't play dumb, Mike, you know what I mean. I know you're pretty much my favourite victim."

"Well… sort of but I-I know you're not doing it to be mean," he said quickly. "I-It's just for fun, right?"

"Is it though? You've done heaps for this place and for us and all I seem to do is give you a hard time." She laughed humourlessly. "Maybe that's why I do. Some friend I am."

"That's not all you do. Y-You were my first friend when I started working here," reminded Mike.

"Yeah, right after I was done scaring the crap out of you," she countered.

"You stood up t-to those jerks at Christmas a-and those guys that broke in."

"Followed by a round of threatening your mom."

"I-I've seen you show r-real concern and care for the others."

"Is that before or after I insult them, undermine them and push them away if I think they're getting too close?" She turned to face him fully. "Look, I get what you're trying to do here but let's face it. I'm a crappy person. I know I am."

"Well I don't think so," Mike retorted. "I agree that you're uh… you're not always the best. You're quick tempered, full of yourself and really, really stubborn."

"This is meant to be discouraging me from thinking I'm bad, right?"

"But you're not a bad person, Bonnie. You stand up for the people you care about. If they're in danger, you never hesitate before throwing yourself in there. You were willing today with that mob, when Chica ran away, during the break-in, against those guys in that club. Y-Yeah you threatened my mom, but only because of what she was saying about the others. E-Even with Goldie, in a way you were trying to protect everyone when she first came back b-because you didn't want her betraying you all again." He gave her a small smile. "I-I said before I like that side of you and I meant it. You don't fake that, Bon. It's there. It's you."

Bonnie didn't manage to maintain eye contact with Mike during all of that. Her eyes kept flickering about from him to random things around the room, mainly the floor. She was quiet for a moment in the wake of that before speaking again in the same solemn tone from before.

"It sounds pretty great when you say it like that. Most of the time yeah, I let myself think I can be great too and even they all seem to think so too. But… I just end up letting everyone down. Just look what happened there with Freddy. He talks about how proud he is that we've all grown and changed but here's me, still doing and saying the first thing that comes into my head." She turned away from Mike again. "If I'm not lashing out and dragging everyone else down, I'm making it into a stupid joke or prank. I'm a mess…"

Once again, Mike was at a loss of what to say. It was difficult to argue against that perspective. She did tend to flip-flop a bit. If things were going well, she generally was easy to get along with. But if things started to get bad, she was among the first to start breaking down.

Or perhaps, Mike thought, there was a different way of looking at that too. He thought carefully about his next words to her before he said them.

"That's… o-one way of looking at it. B-But there's another one too."

"Oh yeah? How'd you figure that?"

"W-Well, think about it. When that mob said all of that stuff, w-would you rather you felt nothing about it?" he asked.

She turned and stared at him. "What kind of dumb question is that?"

"Bonnie, please just a-answer."

"No, but why'd you even ask that?"

"I-I'll tell you. But again, when you first heard about those kids going m-missing, do you think it would have been better if y-you'd felt nothing?"

"God no! I'm a crappy person but I'm not a freaking psycho!"

"There you go then," said Mike. "The fact you get angry about it, th-that shows you care. M-Maybe not in the same way others might, but you care. You care about those kids, about this restaurant a-and about the o-others. Maybe you a-are a bit of a mess, but you're not a bad person, Bonnie. We've all done and said things we're not proud of. It doesn't m-make us the scum of the earth. It just makes us… human. E-Even if you're technically not."

Bonnie regarded Mike quietly and considered his words. A small smile came to her face.

"I guess that is another way of looking at it," she admitted. "Seems you are good for something then."

"Wow, what praise," deadpanned Mike.

She snickered and her voice went quiet again. "No but seriously? Thanks. Like, really. Thanks."

Her eyes were fixed on the floor and her foot twitched. He was about to ask if she was okay. Then her fist flew out and hit Mike's arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he demanded, rubbing the stinging spot.

"Oh grow a pair, you wimp," she teased, her signature smirk returning. "Believe me, that was just a tap. If I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't be able to feel that arm."

"Kind of wish I couldn't," muttered Mike.

"Okay, okay, I'll make this fair." She held her arms wide. "You can have one for free. Go on, hit me."

Mike was taken aback. "Y-You're serious?"

"Yeah, go on. Really sock it to me, Mikey, anywhere you like."

"B-But why?"

"I hit you, you hit me back. That's how it works. Not scared to hit a girl, are you?"

"Uh…"

"Mikey, it's me! You know I can take it."

"Y-You're not gonna hit me b-back?"

"I promise." Mike still hesitated. "Come on, don't you trust me?"

"No."

"Good, that's the proper response. But still, come on. Hit me with your best shot," she sang. "Fire awaaaayy."

Mike looked at her while she stood with her arms apart, her hands beckoning for him to hit her. His eyes moved to his fist. Both it and what little arm muscle he had were hardly impressive. But Bonnie wasn't backing down, she really wanted him to take a swing at her and he'd seen her take and give a lot when she and Foxy had one of their tussles. He shrugged. He might as well.

He drew back a fist and hit her as hard as he was willing to, considering he wasn't particularly strong anyway and also partly he wasn't comfortable hitting a woman. But when he hit her arm, Bonnie screamed and clutched at it. She fell to the floor and backed up against the wall.

"OW! What the hell, man?! I didn't even hit you that hard and you go and do that!" she protested loudly.

"Bonnie, c-come on," he said disbelievingly. "You really think I'm g-gonna fall for that?"

Her expression became hurt. "You don't even care. You don't even care that you've hurt me! I don't like this side of you, Mike! Stop it!"

"B-But… I didn't…"

"What's this now?" Mike whirled around to see Goldie coming toward them.

"Goldie! Thank god!" She pointed at Mike. "He hit me! Right on the arm! I was only playing around and he goes and does this!"

"Did he now?" Goldie turned slowly to Mike.

"C-Come on, Goldie. You g-gotta know she's just faking it. Just Bonnie being Bonnie," he laughed awkwardly. "Right?"

Goldie didn't laugh. "Do you think is funny, Mike? Do you think this is some kind of joke, what you've done here?"

"N-No, but-"

"Then why are you laughing, Mike?" She held him in the cold, lifeless gaze of her suit's mechanical eyes. "Why are you enjoying the sight of Bonnie in pain? Is this really the kind of man you are?"

"G-Goldie? W-What are you-?"

"Would you think it's funny if someone did it to you, Mike? Would you like it if someone laughed at your pain? Well then, Mike…" She advanced on him slowly, raising her hands as she did. "Let's see, shall we?"

"No! No, no, please!" He shut his eyes and scrambled away. "I-I didn't mean to, she wanted me to, please! I didn't…" He trailed off when he heard suppressed laughter coming from the closet. "Oh my… really? Really?!" he shot at Goldie.

"Really," she replied, dropping her threatening tone.

"Since when were you two in cahoots with each other?!" he demanded.

"Since just now. One quick wink while you had your attention focused on me. Misdirection is an important part of a magician's show, you know," she said casually.

"Uh huh." Bonnie stepped out of the closet. "See before, I wanted to tear her head off every time I saw her. Now, it's just every other time and I think it's because there's one thing we can really connect with."

"Shared torment of you," finished Goldie.

"I still think you're garbage for what you did though," clarified Bonnie.

"Of course and I still think you have a significant inferiority complex coupled with a very fragile ego," returned Goldie.

"Wow, which online course did you get your degree in?"

"Freddy Fazbear's Psychology and Pizza Making for Beginners. It's the same college you got your music lessons."

"So you're saying you taught yourself?"

"And I did a fantastic job, if I do say so myself."

"I'm in hell," groaned Mike.

"And Bonnie and I are just that little bit closer in the span of about ten seconds. See? It really works. Maybe we should try and capitalise on this," she suggested, turning back to the dining area. "This could be a new form of therapy."

"Nah, if everyone did it then it wouldn't be as special or effective," dismissed Bonnie, walking beside her.

"Hmm, good point," agreed Goldie. "Guess it'll be our little secret."

"Sounds good to me." She looked back at Mike as he followed and gave him another sincere smile along with a cheeky wink.

While Mike began to question again why he still worked here, he was pleased to see when he got back that Chica's efforts bore fruit as well. Foxy had come out of the Cove, though he appeared to be lacking his usual energy.

"Hey, look what the kraken dragged in," remarked Bonnie.

"Nice ta see ye too, Bon. Ya doin' alright lass?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. How about you and don't even think of lying to make me feel better or your face is going through one of these walls," she threatened.

That brought a slight chuckle from him. "Oh aye?"

"Yeah, haven't decided which one yet though. I'm making it a surprise. Seriously, you doing alright?"

"I've… been be'er," he admitted. "But generally speakin', I'll be alright. This lovely creature's seen ta that."

Chica beamed proudly for the second time that night. "Aren't you sweet?"

"And she did it without throwing a single punch or making even one tackle?" Bonnie shook her head. "I just dunno how you did it."

"Surprisingly, Bonnie, people tend to respond better to support and encouragement if it isn't expressed through physical violence," said Chica.

"You mean I've been doing it wrong this whole time? Why didn't anyone say something?" she demanded.

"I'm fairly certain I have," defended Chica.

"Guess I wasn't listening then."

"You have very selective hearing then."

"Huh? You say something, Cheeks?"

"Bonnie." Freddy's voice cut through the atmosphere of general light-heartedness. "Come here, please."

Bonnie glanced about nervously before joining Freddy up on the stage. Everyone watched with baited breath, with the obvious exception of Goldie.

"Well?" he prompted.

"Yeah um… so I said some stuff and uh, yeah it wasn't very uh… very nice so… geez I'm bad at this," she muttered and sighed. "Yeah, I'm… I'm sorry, boss. It wasn't cool, what I did so… yeah, sorry."

She shuffled about on her feet and waited for his response.

It was difficult to gauge how exactly Freddy was feeling. His fists were clenched and shaking faintly. His expression was unreadable. He continued to gaze at Bonnie. Mike wasn't certain if he was deliberately letting the silence linger or perhaps trying to think of an appropriate response. He drew himself to his full height and Mike was reminded of exactly how big he was.

Then he made his move. He took another step towards her. He raised a hand, as if to strike her. Bonnie's eyes flickered from his face to his hand. Chica squeaked fearfully. Mike didn't even realise his feet started forward. The hand came down…

Onto Bonnie's shoulder where it rested in a firm, but not a hard grip. His expression wasn't hardened, but he didn't smile. When he spoke, his voice was unwaveringly calm but with the same firmness he was displaying.

"Bonnie. I understand, better than you might think. Listenin' to those people today, there was more than a few times I wanted to go out there and tell them all exactly what I thought of them. I might even be tempted to, as you might say, sock them across the jaw. I too had images of them stormin' their way in here and exposin' us somehow, maybe even try to take us apart. But I didn't and I couldn't let you either because, though you may not agree, deep down I think you know why: we would have been no better than they. As Chica said, they were scared and not completely irrationally just as we were. But we didn't act on our fears and lash out in frightened anger. They did. As I said, it's not understandable, but it's not excusable. We must stay strong and trust in each other because we and a select few, know the truth. We must be the better people, for ourselves and for them. Do you understand?"

Bonnie was no longer looking back at him, but at his feet. Mike almost couldn't make out her voice when she responded.

"It's hard to…"

"Don't I know it." Now Freddy smiled. "Do you know how many times I wished I could go out there and show them what for? How many times, when you've behaved as you've done now, I've wished I could just sweep out the legs from under you and dangle you upside down to remind you who's in charge around here?"

She snorted. "Get outta here."

"No, I'm serious. It'd be easy too." A twinkle came to his eye. "Allow me to demonstrate."

He then did exactly what he promised to do and within three seconds had his arms wrapped around Bonnie's legs while he dangled her and she struggled to no avail.

"Seriously? Twice in the same week?! How does this happen?!"

"Ahem. I think you know what you need to say now?" suggested Freddy.

She groaned. "You're the bear now can you put me down?"

"Very well," said Freddy and dropped her unceremoniously on her head.

"I think preferred it when you were skulking around back there," she grumbled, dusting herself off and rubbing her head.

"And I didn't realise how much I had missed this," noted Freddy. "I'm reminded why you and Foxy have your little squabbles now."

"That statement does retract a little from what you just said about being the better people," pointed out Goldie.

"It can be made to be flexible depending on the circumstances and I'd rather like to make sure we keep getting what customers we can. I doubt they'd receive it well if we started doin' stuff like that."

"You never know until you try," said Bonnie.

"If only. I suppose it was lucky that young Jeremy earned that badge of his," said Freddy. "I admire that young man's courage, both in the face of that mob and in dealing with his loss."

"It must be so hard on him," said Chica sadly. "I had some kind of feeling but you wouldn't know to look at him. He just smiles and laughs and gets on with it."

Mike nodded. "I know. And when you think about how old he is. He's probably late high school if he hasn't already graduated."

"Aye, the lad's strong, no doubt about it," agreed Foxy.

"Heh. It's weird, now you mention it," remarked Bonnie.

"What is?" Freddy asked.

"I knew his brother. I mean, I was his favourite when he came here. Bobby Fitz, that's what he preferred to be called. Said it would be his stage name someday, when he would be doing sell-out shows and shredding his own strings." She laughed a little. "He had real spirit, that kid. Liked to brag about every little thing he did. I remember he was telling me about all these songs he'd learned. He quickly shut up when I handed him my guitar so he could show me."

"You mean to tell me you let someone else touch your guitar and they actually left with their limbs still attached?" asked Goldie.

"It's rare, but it happens," admitted Bonnie.

"What did he do?" asked Mike.

She smirked at the memory. "He tried to pass it off as casually as he could that he didn't want to show me up in front of everyone with his 'mad skills'. Yeah, sure thing, Bobby, whatever helps you sleep at night. He didn't exactly have his money where his mouth was, but he was a good kid. So's his brother. I hope they find him and all of them."

"As do we all," said Freddy. "Now, since we're all here, who fancies having a little round of our game?" They all agreed to this. "And with the twist that someone else is in the security room?"

Then Goldie rapidly said, "Lastonewhosaysnotitdoesitonetwothree! Not it!"

They all swiftly chorused but Chica was a second too slow.

"Oh no… can we try again?" she asked.

"You'll do fine, Cheeks," assured Bonnie.

"But I'm worse in there than I am trying to sneak in!" she protested. "I get all nervous and jittery and I can't focus properly!"

"We'll make it easy fer ya, lass. Ya have me word on that."

"Really?" Foxy and a few others nodded. "W-Well… okay. I-I'll do my best," she said, reluctantly going to the security room.

"Alright, let's have some fun with this!" cackled Bonnie.

"B-But we promised," said Mike.

Bonnie shook her head. "You did, I didn't. Plus, she took my guitar and she's going to make me wear a dress. She's going down."

Mike exchanged a look with Foxy. Bonnie was definitely back to her usual form, but whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was highly debatable.

* * *

Arc of Carona: Thank you.

SynonymRoll: Great now I've got it XD  
Something like that.

Andrew115342: I certainly shall.

Monkey999Boy: Yeah let's not.

Alice-the-Hatter: Glad you took to Jeremy so well.


	5. Confessions of a Horror Fan

**Confessions of a Horror Fan**

Mike looked down at his phone, double checking the details on the text message Susie had sent him to get to her house, using Freddy's as a starting point. This was definitely the right street, about a thirty minute walk away from the restaurant. Now it was just a matter of finding the right house. He looked down again.

 _Now head along to number 18 and claim your prize!_

He smiled a little at that. She'd done this when they'd gone out for his birthday to a bar, the same one he and Bonnie had gone to the basement gig at Christmas. The prize had turned out to be a surprisingly strong hug for a woman of her size along with an actual birthday present. The entire collection of the four _Alien_ movies, even though only the first three were any good and the fourth one… well that was the fourth one.

The movies been something of an animated debate between them on that night since Mike personally thought Aliens was the best of the bunch with its emphasis on action. In contrast Susie was tied over argued the more horror focused aspects of the first movie. She'd tried to get her partner Wendy involved, but she didn't like them. Things like the chestburster scene made her feel sick.

Mike had gotten the impression that night that Wendy didn't really like him all that much. She'd asked Mike a few questions about who he was, where he came from and his position at Freddy's. When Mike had been vague on that front for obvious reasons, she'd tried pressing for more details that Mike found more and more difficult to deflect before Susie stepped in to save him. For the most part, she remained quiet while sipping her drink and had left early, saying she had work in the morning.

"Don't mind her," Susie had said when she'd gone. "She's just a little slow to trust new people. She always was a bit of a social shut in, even when we were at school. She'll warm to you eventually."

Mike doubted that, but he took Susie at her word and enjoyed her company longer before she had to leave too. He hadn't seen Wendy since and he hoped he wouldn't run into her today. Susie said it was just her in the house and that Wendy was at work. Mike had his fingers crossed that would remain the case.

He arrived outside number 18. Like the rest of the houses on this street, it was a modest two storey affair with a nicely cut lawn and a few flowers decorating the front. It wasn't much, but compared to Mike's apartment it was like a palace. He noted that the curtains were closed while he walked up the drive, his concern for his friend growing a little. He knocked on the door and waited.

It creaked open to reveal Susie, dressed in a blue dressing gown and dark pyjama bottoms with Jason Voorhees's hockey mask decorating them. Her hair which was usually straightened and tied back in a ponytail was untied and frizzy, strands of it darting out in places. He also noted she didn't have any makeup on, for her usually bright eyes lacked their vibrant spark and the little bit of eyeliner she put on and her cheeks didn't look as full without her blush and smile. The latter of those appeared when she saw Mike and he could tell that it was genuine, not the welcoming one she wore for customers although the difference was distinct to the untrained eye.

"Hey, you managed to find the place. Now, as promised, your prize." She hugged him. "Thanks for coming, Mike."

"I was happy to," he murmured. Then he jumped when he heard a scream. "What was that?!"

"One of the girls I have tied up in the basement." She let that hang in there for a second before she laughed. "Nah, just kidding. I left my movie on in the front room. Come on in. Take your shoes off by the door, Wendy can't stand the thought of mud being tracked through the house."

Mike did so. He stepped into a small corridor with a few offshoots along its length with a staircase leading upstairs directly ahead. A glance to the door on the right led to a small kitchen and dining area. The one on the left he followed Susie through took him into the front room with a big couch and a plush looking arm chair. A couple of wooden tables and the mantelpiece were decorated with photos of Susie and Wendy at various stages in their lives. Standing with some friends at school. At a fair ground outside a ghost train. Sat together in a restaurant. Dressed up for a night out. Standing outside a children's home.

It made Mike feel happy and a little jealous for the two of them that they had so many memories they were willing to share of their time together.

It was in the front room also that the curtains were closed and the reason why became apparent, dispelling a little of Mike's earlier worry. Mike looked at the screen currently paused on a movie. Though he had never sat down and watched it, he'd seen enough clips on the internet to know it was _Nightmare on Elm Street_.

"A true classic," she said brightly. "Ever seen it?"

"Bits and pieces, but not the whole thing," admitted Mike.

"Okay, we're changing that right now." She pointed to the arm chair. "You, there. I'll get you a drink and some snacks. This is for your education."

"I-I don't have any say in this, do I?"

"Nope," she answered, heading into the kitchen.

Mike made himself comfortable in the arm chair and waited while Susie brought him a big bottle of Coke and a large bowl full of salted chips. Even though she had invited him here to talk about what had been bothering them both, he was fine with this to ease themselves in a bit.

The last time Mike had watched a movie with someone, it had been Goldie. The two of them were talkers, commenting on the movie while it happened. Susie in contrast was the kind of person who liked to be completely engrossed in whatever she was watching. If Mike even drew in breath to speak, she would shoot him a look to silence him. The only time she ever spoke was to mouth some of Freddy Krueger's lines and when the credits started to roll.

"God I love that movie," she sighed. "Just… what a concept! A guy that kills you in your dreams? Wes Craven's a genius! And Robert Englund just brings so much charisma and menace to Freddy. How the hell did they think they could remake this?"

"The effects look really good too, like the bit where she starts levitating," put in Mike. "I-It's amazing how a lot of these practical effects still look good today."

"I know, right?" she enthused. "Like I saw a clip from the remake, the bit where Freddy is creeping above Nancy through the wall? They did a better job with some plastic stretched over a hole than in the original with a computer, just… ugh so good!" She sat in silence for a bit. "You know something? I always thought something centred around Freddy's would make a good horror movie."

"You think?" asked Mike.

"Yeah. I mean, if you think about everything that's happened there with '87 and all the stories about the performers moving around at night, you've got a lot to work with. Add to that what's happened to these kids… it's just waiting for some Hollywood exec to snap up the film rights, isn't it?"

Though she tried to make the comment sound light hearted, Mike could hear the faint tremble in her voice. She also stopped making eye contact with him, her eyes drifting back to the credits on screen. The audio was of the creepy girls in the white dresses singing Freddy's chilling nursery rhyme.

 _One, two  
Freddy's coming for you..._

"Susie?" She didn't reply. "A-Are you okay?"

She continued to gaze at the screen, as if hypnotized by it. When she did speak, the perkiness she usually had seemed more forced and it wasn't in direct answer to his question.

"Then you've got the performers themselves. 'Cause, you know, a few people find them creepy. I know Wendy doesn't really trust them, along with a few other people in town. I can see why but I know they're wrong. Those guys… they've always felt different from other robotic performers. You ever been to Disneyland, Mike?"

Mike shook his head. "My parents never could have afforded it."

"Now that's tragic," she said sympathetically. "Mine took me when I was eight. I was a real Disney nut when I was younger, though I was one of those kids who was better off listening to Poor Unfortunate Souls than Under the Sea. They have animatronics there and while they were kind of cool, they weren't exactly the best. They were jerky and glitchy and could only speak from their recorded lines. Even as a kid, there was no way I was convinced those things were actually real. But then you come to Freddy's and you wonder how it is that a multibillion dollar company doesn't have tech on the same lines as our little place."

"When you put it like that, yeah," agreed Mike.

"I mean, you can actually talk to them and they respond. And it's like they actually feel. I mean, like we do. Like, I was talking to Bonnie a few weeks back and it was like you could have pulled off that suit and seen there was an actual person under there. It's really kind of amazing, don't you think?"

Mike nodded silently, musing to himself how close Susie was to the actual truth.

"You ever wonder what they think about all this? The missing kids, I mean," she clarified. She still wasn't looking at Mike. "Do you think they're worried about them too?"

"Uh… maybe?" Mike said in what he hoped was a casual voice.

"I like to think so," she replied. "Like it might just be me, but the way they've performed recently doesn't feel like it should do. It's like how it was a couple of weeks ago when they were arguing with each other a lot." She laughed a little. "Robot performers arguing. Only at Freddy's, right?"

"Heh, y-yeah." Now Mike was a little glad she wasn't looking at him. He was afraid the truth she was skirting very close to was written all over his face.

"Like, it's not as overt but after listening to them for so long, I can kind of tell. A little bit of bickering, more forced joy than anything genuine. Like they know something's wrong and what's happening, but they can't talk about it. They just gotta get on with it." She laughed again. "Or maybe it's just me, right? It probably is." She went quiet. "This is where you're supposed to say 'oh Susie, don't be silly. You're not crazy at all.'"

"Uh right. S-Sorry."

"It's okay, I'm just messing." Silence again, except for the creepy music from the movie's credits. "I… I messed up, Mike."

"H-How do you mean?" he asked.

"I…" She paused, like she was trying to work out what to tell him. "I knew one of the kids. William Davies. You ever see him? Little chubby, rosy cheeks, round face?"

"N-No, sorry."

"Well, I figured you wouldn't. You're not exactly around much in the day, you freaky night owl," she teased though again it was more forced than normal. "Well, that's little Billy Boy. That's what I always used to call him anyway. He loved that. Well, he loved a lot of things but especially that and coming to Freddy's. Almost every day I'd see him in here, either with Wendy or on his own."

"What about his parents?" asked Mike.

She shook her head. "No parents. He lived at the children's home. Wendy was one of his regular carers, so she'd bring him along to Freddy's for a day out and to say hi to me while I was at work. He was a… well, he was a shy kid. He was quiet with me at first, but I got him to open up and… oh my god, you've never met a sweeter boy than him. Seriously, never. Like I remember I was having a really bad day once. Some difficult parents and kids, it happens but you still put on a smile. Billy he… I don't know what it was, but he could just tell. So you know what he did?"

He shook his head, but said nothing. As she was talking, her voice would quiver faintly and she was blinking more frequently. Mike didn't say anything though. He just let her talk.

"He came around the reception desk. I started to tell him he wasn't allowed to, but before I could he… he hugged me. Just put his arms around my waist. Then he looks up at me and he says… he says 'you have a really nice smile.'" She choked on a sob and sniffed. "You… you should have seen me. This twenty five year old woman crouched behind her work desk while being comforted by a… by a seven year old. It was just… just…" She sniffed again and turned away from Mike. "G-God I'm such a sap. P-Pretty embarrassing right, Mike?"

"Susie," he said gently. She didn't look around at him. "W-Why are you telling me this? I-I mean, it's not that I don't want to hear it but… w-what's wrong? Why d-did you say you messed up?"

Now, she did look at him. The mask of light heartedness had all but gone now with her true feelings breaking through. Tears were beginning to trickle down. Her features were creased, that little smile she always had replaced by an upset grimace.

"B-Because I did." She pulled her legs close to her, wrapping her arms around them. "He's g-gone. He's gone a-and it's all my f-fault… oh Billy, I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, hey…" Normally, Mike would be tentative about intruding on someone's personal space and a part of him was. But it was overruled by the fact that he knew Susie needed a hug. So he gave her one. "It's not your fault. Why would you say that?"

"B-Because it is," came her voice, muffled against his chest. "I-It is, I know it is…"

He pulled back so he could look at her. "But why do you say that?"

"Because I… I let him g-go back alone. H-Hold on, let me just…" He let her have a few minutes to collect herself. "Y-You know I said he e-either came with Wendy o-or on his own? W-Well that day, he was o-on his own. When it happens, I-I usually let Wendy know so she can come pick him u-up and take him back. B-But sometimes I… I let him go back alone. He was always f-fine, h-he even said so and it's a small town. W-What was the worst that could… that could…" The sobbing came back afresh and she clung to Mike. "I should have c-called her! I should have let her know! N-Now he's gone and it's my fault!"

Mike held her as she cried. It was truly heart-breaking to hear her talk about herself like this. No wonder she was barely holding herself together in front of those people yesterday. Anyone would have trouble coping with that, but having those feelings of perceived guilt on top of it… Mike was amazed she hadn't broken down that day.

"Susie… I-I know it's hard for you to believe, but it isn't your fault," he said.

"You're right. It is hard to believe," she remarked. "Those people thought so and… I'm pretty sure Wendy thinks so too. Sh-She doesn't say anything but I know she does. Ever since this started, she's been so much terser and l-less tolerant with me. I-I can't seem to make her smile like before and she's under investigation at work and…" She clung even harder to Mike. "W-Why did this have to happen, Mike? Why?"

"I… I don't know. But I-I do know that it isn't your fault."

"But-"

"No, Susie, listen. Please." She didn't try to argue again. "You aren't responsible for what happened to Billy or to any of them. No one at Freddy's is, no matter what those people or anyone else says. I-It's like Jeremy said, right? B-Blaming other isn't going to g-get them back. Neither is b-blaming ourselves."

"Yeah… yeah, y-you're right." She sniffed again and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Thanks, Mike. I think I needed to hear that."

"Glad I could help," he replied.

"You know, the thought just occurred to me: why do I seem to end up being comforted by people who are younger than me? First Billy, now you and by extension Jeremy…" She gave a wet chuckle. "I'm older than both of you. I should be the voice of wisdom and consolation for you youngsters."

Mike laughed a little. "Sorry, g-grandma."

"Hey, respect your elders," she teased. "Seriously though, thanks again. You're a good friend, Mike."

"No problem," he muttered. "Are you going to be alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I mean, I'll really feel alright when these kids are found safe and sound but until then, guess we've just gotta carry on right?"

"And uh… w-what about Wendy?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure, honestly. I suppose I have to bite the bullet and just talk to her about this." She sighed. "You won't believe this, but she's recently got it in her head that you're somehow responsible."

To say Mike was shocked would be an understatement. "What?!"

"I know! I guess it's to do with how sketchy the position is and something about how you don't say much about what you do at night."

"Yeah, well…" Mike laughed nervously. "I-It's a security guard thing a-and it's just me. N-Not a whole lot happens."

"Exactly! I can't really blame her that much. This whole thing's been really hard on her. Well, it has for all of us but her especially. She was meant to be responsible for Billy." Her cheeks reddened. "We even talked about… you know, if we ever thought about having a kid of our own, well… it'd be him. Can you imagine? Me as a mom?"

"Y-Yeah. I think you'd be a great mom. Y-You both would," said Mike.

"Thanks. Glad someone does," she joked. "But hey, enough of me and my woes. Now it's your turn."

"W-What?"

"Come on, did you think I was going to be the only one bearing my soul today?" she teased. "I mean, that's if you want to talk about it. I'm not going to force you."

"N-No, I do want to. It's just uh… i-it's hard to," he admitted.

"If it's about what I think it is, I get it," she said in understanding. "It's your ex right? Lidiya?"

Mike confirmed this silently and was about to tell her what he'd been meaning to for a while when something stopped him. It was the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Uh oh," she muttered. "She's home for lunch."

"Sue, are you here?" came a clipped voice, followed by brisk footsteps. "You're not still watching those horrid films, are you? I swear, I don't know how you can…"

Wendy stopped as she came into the room and laid eyes on Mike, glaring at him through her square framed glasses. Whereas Susie was often rather casual and relaxed, Wendy was usually prim and proper and this was no exception. Her posture was ramrod stiff, her dark pants and jacket neatly pressed. Her black hair was tied up in a neat bob and her arms were currently folded, exuding her disapproval of the sight in front of her.

He gave a nervous smile. "H-Hi, Wendy."

"Mike. I didn't think you would be here. Did Sue invite you?"

"Yes, I did," answered Susie, her light voice laced with a hint of frost. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. I just thought that you were going to be on your own for today. You said you had to take the day off from Freddy's."

"That doesn't mean I can't spend it with a friend if I want to."

"Of course not." Her eyes flickered back to Mike. "It just depends on the friend."

"Oh, so just the ones you don't suspect of kidnapping children then? Good thing I've got plenty of those."

Her eyes widened. "I never said-!"

"No but you pretty much implied it!"

"Sue, stop it!" she hissed. "You're making a scene in front of-!"

"Oh so now you're worried about offending him, when you pretty much just said you didn't approve of him just now? You think he's gonna kidnap me too?!"

"Stop it! Don't you even joke about that!"

"Who's joking? Am I joking? Clearly you weren't when you brought that up!"

Mike thought about stepping in, but he felt nothing he could say or do would stop what was going on now. It was probably best to make himself scarce so he quietly edged away. He waited for someone to call him back but thankfully it didn't come. Just as he reached the door, he felt compelled to say something.

"It wasn't her fault." Both Wendy and Susie looked at him. "I… I'm sorry about what happened to Billy. To all of them. B-But it wasn't Susie's fault."

Wendy's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying? You think I blame her for… for what happened?"

"I-I don't know. Do you?" Wendy didn't reply. She broke off her glare and glanced at her partner, who was looking gratefully at Mike. "I-I'll see you around, Susie. I hope you'll be okay."

With that, Mike closed the door and walked away from the house. The thought briefly crossed his mind that he should go back, that he should be there to support his friend. But he knew that this was something Susie and Wendy had to confront by themselves, as hard as that might be. That and he had used up what little courage he had just to say that to Wendy before he left and he couldn't muster up anymore to go back.

God, he could be such a coward sometimes. On top of that, he hadn't even had the chance to ask Susie about Lidiya.

Mike groaned. Could this get any worse?

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. At first he thought it might be Susie, calling to apologise or continue what she'd been saying before Wendy interrupted. But the caller ID was Goldie.

"Goldie, this isn't really a good time right-"

"Something happened with Foxy."

Mike froze the instant he heard this. His blood chilled and he could feel his hand begin to shake.

His voice was barely above a horrified whisper. "W-What?"

"Just now. I don't know exactly what happened or if it could be called as bad as what happened in '87 but… he did it again. He lashed out at one of the parents."

* * *

Hickorydaisy: Just you wait…

Arc of Carona: I aim to please.

neon lololol: Thank you.

f3arsentinel: I'm happy to hear you think so. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the rest.

Monkey999Boy: Another to add to the fleet.  
Goldie has referred to him, just not by name.

Alice-the-Hatter: Thank you, Alice. I'm pleased you saw it that way.

Auto-Buscus: I felt they hadn't had much time together as just them and could go for a little more.  
Nope, they both just love trolling Mike.  
Thanks man, that's what I was hoping to convey.  
They just may, my friend. They just may…

SynonymRoll: It's really just like anyone. A criticism I see in some shows is that characters have to keep overcoming the same flaws over and over, but that's how it works. Not all flaws can be overcome in a twenty minute span, not completely anyway. Bonnie is one of those people.

Fazboy32: That's kind of you to say so, thank you.

Mobslayer: I'm sorry to say that a few of these are going to feel like filler but fear not, something is coming.

ST4RSK1MM3R: Thank you for saying so and no, I have no plans do. I might post an update explaining why, you do have a point there. I'll give it a look, sure.

Dakota Sno: Good for you.

AlexaMarrinDaughterofPoseidon: I will, just that it'll take a while. My apologies.

Hey everyone. My sincerest apologies for the really long wait on this one. I've got a few things I need to sort out in my life right now. Find a part time job, prepare my application for postgraduate study, think about my future career. I just haven't really felt the urge to write like I used to when I was studying. Like if I didn't want to do some coursework just yet or I felt like I'd done enough, writing was a way to kind of unwind. Now I don't have that factor anymore, the drive isn't as strong as it used to be.

Before you all get worried, no I'm not going to stop writing. That's the last thing I want to do. But just know that it'll kind of be in dips and peaks. I fully intend to follow these stories to the end because I have a lot more to tell. It might just take a while to get there.

Again, I'm sorry and thank you all for being patient with me. I hope you understand.


	6. Hoist the Colours

**Hoist the Colours**

To say that Mike was worried when he came into work that night would be a huge understatement. He'd always wondered how his dad had managed to cope after '87, what he must have gone through following that horrible day. Now, he was beginning to get the idea and he sincerely wished he wasn't.

The moment Goldie had let him know what had happened, he'd hurried along to Freddy's to assess the situation. It looked as if almost every customer had gathered outside. A few were leaving, but everyone else was staying to protest at Mr Johnson, who was doing his best along with Jeremy to maintain order. Even Brad covering for Susie on the front desk was doing his best to calm people down.

At the head of the protest was the man who had been on the receiving end. Mike could see the tear that ran across his shirt. Thankfully there appeared to be no blood, but that wasn't stopping the guy from milking what had almost happened to him.

"What the hell are you guys playing at?!" he'd shouted. "I mean, that thing almost gutted me! All I went to do was get kid away from it and it… it did this!"

"It's alright, sir, it's alright!" Jeremy had attempted to placate but no one was having it.

"You call this alright?!" yelled a mother. "How could you let that thing perform after what happened last time?! Fool us once, am I right people?!"

That had been followed with a chorus of angry consensus from the crowd.

"Madam, we'll do everything we can!" Mr. Johnson had replied. In that moment, he locked eyes with Mike. "I assure you, the matter will be dealt with!"

"Oh yeah, like in '87? Or like what that freak rabbit did at Diner you had in the woods?!" someone yelled. "Yeah great work there!"

Mike didn't have to be a psychic to get that message. His boss was expecting him to talk to the synths about this incident when he got in tonight and he intended to do just that. At first, he thought about pushing through the crowd into the restaurant to try and see them but as if in response to this thought, Goldie had rang his phone again.

"I know what you're thinking of doing but honestly there's not a whole lot you can do right now, Mike," she'd said. "Let Jeremy and Aaron and the rest of the staff handle the crowd. Freddy and I can keep a lid on here with the band and Foxy. It looks like we're going to be closing early so we'll see you tonight. We can all try to deal with the fallout then. Until then, go home and get some rest. You're going to need it."

She'd hung up and, after a few lingering looks at the panicked chaos before him, Mike set off for home. He did his best to walk straight ahead and ignore the snippets of outraged remarks everyone was making. He wanted to ask what that man meant about the Diner but he figured now wasn't the time for it.

To relax was easier said than done. He tried getting some sleep, making himself something to eat, watching some TV, doing some art. But he just couldn't keep his mind from straying back to this latest incident and what he would find when he came in for work that night, not to mention what would happen afterwards.

Things were already precarious at Freddy's with regards to the missing children and this was only going to make things much worse. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to bring their families to the restaurant after this and they weren't exactly rolling in money to begin with. He couldn't stand the thought of it closing but the reality of it actually happening seemed to be becoming ever more tangible.

And Foxy… he'd been doing well to try and put his past behind him. He'd always managed to greet every day with a grin and a hearty bellow of laughter. With their support and his own personal strength, he'd managed to weather the storm. But it was obvious from the previous night that the things people had been saying about him were starting to get to him. What was it about today that had finally made him snap? What had that man done to make him lash out?

Whatever it was, Mike would soon find out. He got a call from at six saying that, like Goldie had predicted, the restaurant had been closed early following a police enquiry at the scene. They'd only just cleared out and Mr Johnson had asked Brad to relay to Mike that he might as well come in and start his shift now.

Still avoiding me then, murmured the immediate thought that came to Mike's head before he brushed it aside. He couldn't afford to be worrying about stuff like that at the moment. Right now, his friends needed him and he wasn't about to let them down. So he pulled on his uniform and set off.

It was rather strange, closing up the restaurant for the night before it had even gotten dark. He could feel the wary looks of people as they passed by, noting how they all seemed to be walking as far from the restaurant as possible. When he came into the dining room he noticed, with an unpleasant twinge in his stomach, the remnants of police tape strewn about Pirate Cove. The curtains were closed with the Out of Order sign stuck in front of it.

"I hoped I would never see a sight like that again," murmured Freddy as he walked off the stage.

"I know," agreed Chica who sat with her legs dangling off the stage. "I can't believe this is happening again…"

"Better believe it," muttered Bonnie while she leaned against the side wall. Even she couldn't seem to work up the spirit to be really angry like she had last night. Like the other two, she just sounded tired. Defeated. "So where do you think we're gonna wind up when they shut this place down? My bets say some lab somewhere so they can pull us apart, bit by bit."

"No!" Chica shot to her feet, shaking her head frantically. "They wouldn't! We're… we're people too!"

"Yeah, 'cause of course everyone spends their whole lives pretending to be performing robots. That's just totally normal," she replied sarcastically.

"But they can't just… do that to us! They can't!" insisted Chica.

"Yeah. They'll probably just smash us to pieces instead. I mean, if we're all just dangerous machines it'd be safer for them."

"NO! No, no, no, no!" Chica continued to shake her head, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. "They can't, they can't!"

Freddy turned to her. "Bonnie, that's enough."

"Stop what? Trying to face reality? You can't seriously tell me you think we're gonna make it back from this one," she shot back. "You wait, it's only gonna be a matter of time before we all-"

"I said that's enough!" he repeated firmly. "I realise that things are very bleak right now, but that kind of talk isn't going to help. Take a look, Bonnie. Take a good look and you tell me exactly how much better this is making things!"

Bonnie did. She properly lifted her head and the first thing she saw was her best friend on the opposite end of the stage with her face buried in her hands and sobbing her eyes out, repeating her denials over and over again under her breath. As if she only just realised what was happening, she crossed the stage in a heartbeat. She looked as if she was going to hug Chica, but her arms faltered and fell at the last moment. She settled for standing awkwardly in front of her.

"Cheeks, I… I'm sorry, I didn't… I didn't mean to…" She growled and clenched her fists, looking ashamed of herself. But she took a couple of breaths and calmed down. When she spoke again, her usual tone was back in her voice. "Hey, come on. I didn't mean any of that stuff. They're not going to take us away. Know why?"

Chica raised her head slowly. "W-Why?"

"Because," she said, slamming a fist into her palm, "they're gonna have to get through me first. And before that, they're gonna have to get through you."

"M-Me?" she said in a surprised squeak.

"Yeah, duh. Chica: she has the voice of the Little Mermaid but the sword skills of Mulan. You said you wanted to be like a tough Disney princess too right?"

"Well, yes. Wait, weren't you o-out of the room when I said that?" she asked.

"Come on, you think there's anything these ears can't pick up, you little dork," Bonnie teased. "Now, let's get you fighting ready like when they did that song." She started bouncing on the balls of her feet, her fists raised. "How'd it go again? You must be uh, fast as um…"

Chica giggled and wiped away her tears. "Bonnie, please. Leave it to the expert." She cleared her throat and assumed some kind of martial arts stance as she sang:

 _You must be swift as a coursing river,  
With all the first of a great typhoon.  
With all the strength of a raging fire!_

"Mysterious as the dark side of the moooooooon!" Mike suddenly became aware that everyone was staring at him. "W-What? I love that song…"

"If you love it so much, why did you just try and kill it?" Bonnie laughed, then frowned. "Dude, seriously, that was awful."

"Now, now, Bonnie. Be nice. You can't fault Mike for his er… enthusiasm!" said Chica brightly.

"Thanks, guys," said Mike flatly.

"Oh Mike, I'm sorry. You just… it needs a little work, that's all," said Chica, giving an encouraging smile. "Maybe I could give you a singing lesson sometime."

He returned it. "That'd be nice."

"Private lessons, Chica?" Freddy chuckled. "Mr Schmidt is surely privileged indeed."

"I have to say, normally I would agree with Bonnie." Goldie clomped closer to the stage. "With everything that's happening at the moment, our position is about as stable as a soufflé on the San Andreas fault. But look at this. Despite it all, you're still here for each other, to laugh and comfort and smile. That kind of spirit is hard to break, no matter what happens."

"Yeah," agreed Mike. "So long as we're all together, we're going to be okay."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Ugh, where are the rainbows and unicorns to seal the deal here." But she had a tiny smile playing on her lips.

"Well said indeed, both of you. Now, on the subject of togetherness," continued Freddy, "we are still missing one member of our troupe."

They all looked towards Pirate Cove. The curtains remained silent and still, as did the synth who was behind them. If he knew what they were talking about, he gave no indication he was coming out. Freddy gestured quietly, prompting them all to come closer to the stage.

"So what exactly happened?" asked Mike. "I'm still a little sketchy on the details."

"From what we've been able to garner, Foxy was playing with one of the kids. Then their parent came over and pulled them away, ranting about how Foxy would try and take his kid's head off like in '87. Foxy tried to reassure him, but it only seemed to make him more agitated and he started screaming about how he was trying to come after him now. In the end, Foxy just lost his temper and yelled at him, took a swipe at him with his hook hand when he pushed him away. That was all it needed. You know what happened afterward."

"Geeze…" Mike shook his head. "Poor Foxy. No wonder he's shut himself away."

"I am open to suggestions," Freddy murmured quietly.

"Well, in light of what's happened and been happening, it might be best if he lays low for a while. Tensions are just too high right now for me to confidently say he's good to be performing again," said Goldie.

"Yeah, no," said Bonnie at once. "We practically only just got him to come back out and you want him to go back in again? No way."

"I-I agree," piped up Chica. "Maybe if he just gave some kind of apology to the parents."

"A nice idea, Chica but to them, we are merely performing robots. That might come across as rather patronising to some, like we've been programmed to do it," replied Freddy.

"I think we should focus on what we do right now," whispered Mike. "We need to at least get him to talk to us. We should be involving him in this, see what he wants to do."

Goldie looked over her shoulder. "That might be difficult. He hasn't come out of his Cove since the night started and from what you've told me, the last time he was like this, he-"

"No." Chica adopted a firm, unwavering tone. "He won't do that, not again."

"How do you know that?" asked Goldie.

"I know. Let's say no more about it," answered Chica. "Mike's right, we need to bring him out. I won't leave him to stew in his misery again. He needs us."

Silence fell for a few moments as everyone tried to think of a way to coax Foxy out of Pirate Cove. It was Freddy who broke it.

"I have an idea but I will need some time to prepare. Goldie, I'll need your help for this. Mike, I want you to go and talk to Foxy, keep him occupied and see if you can't begin to bring him around."

"What are you going to do?" asked Mike.

He tapped his nose. "You'll see, but first I need you to do this for me. Can you?"

Mike thought for a bit, then nodded. "You got it."

"I'll help out too. I'm not leaving him in the lurch again," offered Bonnie.

"Me too," chimed Chica. "Hold on, I'll go bring a little food too."

"Excellent. Come then, sister," he said, walking off with her into the back room.

Mike and Bonnie waited for Chica to get what she needed, a drink and a cupcake, before making their way to Pirate Cove. Mike went to knock but then remembered they were curtains. Bonnie rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"Hey, peg leg! We know you're in there!"

Silence, then. "Aye. What of it?"

"We're coming in, that's what." She threw back the curtains and stepped inside.

Mike threw Chica a look. She shrugged in a way that said 'that's Bonnie for you' and followed her, Mike trailing along behind. He could make out Foxy with his back to them. He glanced up, but didn't turn around.

"Makes me wonder why I bother with the bloody sign," he muttered.

"What are you gonna do, throw us out? You wouldn't do that." She gestured to Chica's face. "Look at this face. Would you be willing to throw out this face, Foxy?"

Chica affected a smile while Foxy was looking, then frowned at Bonnie when he looked away. Bonnie just shrugged.

"I know why yer here," he sighed. "Ya reckon I should lay low fer now, wait fer this thing ta blow over. Aye, well I'm well ahead-a ya. This is the only place I deserve ta be."

"Foxy, come on," beseeched Mike. "No one blames you for what happened. Well, I guess maybe the parents do but that hasn't stopped you before."

"Nice save," murmured Bonnie sarcastically.

"It hasn't, but maybe it should," he said bitterly. "Look at it. This is like '87 all over again. Seems like all I ever do is cause trouble fer everyone else."

Bonnie blinked a few times. "You're kidding, right? You really think that's what your problem is? Dude, have you even met me? We all know now that, despite my obviously awesome exterior, I'm not exactly the highest ranking among well-adjusted people."

Mike stared at her. "Sorry, do you want to say that again?"

"Shut up, you heard me just fine. Heck, we all cause our own fair share of problems. Mike here's a pervert and nearly got us and himself killed after working with an evil AI."

"I resent that!" they heard Goldie yell.

"And yeah, remember that? Goldie tried to kill us, like, twice! And Freddy, he just shut himself away rather than try to confront the problem properly. Even Chica's not innocent anymore. She had us combing the whole town looking for her when she ran off!"

"Yes, thank you for bringing that up again so soon, Bonnie," she muttered with flushed cheeks.

"And that… that was my fault partly. See, you're not perfect, Foxy but the thing is, none of us are but we're sure as hell not gonna let it stop us. You shouldn't either. Not again."

"She's right, Foxy," said Chica gently, kneeling down to his level. "Those people, they don't really mean the things they say. They're just scared for their children. They want to feel like they're doing something. I'm not saying they're right, but I understand why."

"Aye and who is it that's makin' 'em run scared, eh?" he retorted. "I'm sorry, I know ya want ta help me but ye can't deny the truth when it's stain' ya in the face. I'm directly responsible, on two occasions, for makin' us look even worse than everyone already thinks we are. Can any-a ye even begin ta say that isn't true?"

Mike mentally scrambled for an answer but none were forthcoming. He looked to Bonnie who had turned away to look at something else. Chica started to speak more than once but she trailed off into silence.

"That's what I thought." He turned his head away from them. "Things are bad, they've gotten worse and I've got no one ta blame but meself. You all deserve better'n me."

Mike started to speak. "Foxy, that isn't-"

"Foxy? Would you be so kind as to come on out of that Cove? I have something I wish to tell you."

It was Freddy, calling from the dining area. Foxy, however, didn't move.

"I'm not really feelin' up ta comin' out right now. Tell him that if he wants ta talk, he'll have to come out here," he told them.

"Uh, Freddy?" Mike called. "Foxy is-"

Freddy's stern voice cut through the air. "Foxy. I want to hear from you, not from using young Mike as a voice piece. You may call yourself captain, but on the good ship Fazbear, I am in command. Come out here, please."

Mike thought he heard Foxy faintly snarl, but the command worked. He rose from his spot and made to leave. They all made way for him while he looked down at the floor, avoiding looking them in the eye and they followed him out. Freddy stood before the stage at its centre, his expression unreadable.

"Thank you. Now then, what seems to be the trouble? And I want to hear it straight from you, if you will," he added.

Foxy didn't look up. "Ya know what the trouble is, skipper."

"I said I want to hear it from you. And if you wouldn't mind making eye contact with me."

"Fine." He snapped his head up, the beginnings of tears in his eyes that contrasted with his grimacing features. "I'll tell ye what I told them. Much as ya might try ta deny it, it's been my fault fer makin' a bad situation even worse, twice! I lost me temper, I lashed out and all of us have had ta pay the price! I don't deserve yer friendship or yer forgiveness, so don't even try ta-!"

"That's enough." Though Foxy had begun to shout, Freddy's voice was enough to silence him. After a few moments, Freddy smiled. "Is that really what you think? You truly believe that you're irredeemable because of two mistakes? Sizable mistakes I will admit, but mistakes nonetheless."

"They were still my fault!" he protested. "Ya can't deny that!"

"No and I have no intention to do so. However, what I will say is that on both of those occasions is that you acted in the way you always done: doing what you felt was the right thing." Freddy let that sink in before continuing. "In 1987, you acted in defence of a child. Today, it was in defence of yourself. That man was accusing of being something that you are simply not. And we have much more evidence to back that up."

"Yeah," Mike said. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten what you did for everyone here after what happened with Golden. You helped bring them together again, to pull them out of dark places you'd been to long ago."

"Exactly. And when I tried to build bridges again on Valentine's Day, you did your best to put a real effort into easing the tensions between everyone," added Chica.

"Even now, with all the crap that's happening, you still act like a complete dork if it means getting a smile out of someone," finished Bonnie.

"And if that wasn't enough, our youngest customers share those thoughts. Show him, Goldie."

At Freddy's request, Goldie came out of the backstage room and held up a corkboard. Pinned to every inch of it were doodles and drawings done by the children. All of them depicted Foxy, sailing with them on his ship, finding buried treasure or just giving a toothy grin. Even while Foxy stared at it, Freddy approached and pulled one specific drawing.

"Freddy and I especially liked this one," said Goldie. It depicted Foxy and a young girl at the bow of his ship, the former giving a piggy back to the latter. "She drew it when she came here without her brother once. The two of them are often inseparable and while most of the time she was quite bombastic, this time around she sat by herself, quiet and forlorn. Until a certain sea captain saw one of his 'little mateys' looking so down and featured her alongside him in his show as his first mate. What an adventure it was, searching for the lost treasure of Captain Blackheart and doing battle with living skeletons. The smile that little girl had was as bright as any other, she loved every second of it. Oh what was her name again…?"

"Katie. Katie O'Malley," Foxy whispered, his finger tracing gently over the drawing of the girl. "Poor lass…"

Golden nodded solemnly. "I know. What's happened to her and the rest of them is a terrible thing. But at least we have someone like you, Foxy, to remind us of what you showed Susie: no matter how bad things might seem, there's always a reason to have hope and to smile."

Foxy stared at the drawing for a while longer, then around at all of them. He wiped away at the tears that started to trickle down his cheeks and managed a smile.

"I… thank ye. All-a ye. Yer the finest crew… the finest friends a man could ask fer." Chica beamed at this and enveloped him in a hug while Bonnie punched his arm. "But I still think I should lay low fer a while."

"Aw come on!" cried Bonnie.

"Bonnie, think about it. We're sailing on rough waters as it is and ya don't need me around, stirrin' it up further. I'll give it a few days, wait fer it ta die down, then I'll make me comeback." He affected a grin. "Though I'm touched that ye'd miss me."

"Please," she scoffed.

"Are you sure you should do this, my friend?" asked Freddy.

"Aye, I am." He gave them all a genuine smile. "Don't worry, ye won't be losin' me ferever but I think this is fer the best, fer now."

Freddy nodded solemnly. "As long as we are in agreement. Still, I hate that you have to do this."

"I'm not keen about it either, Fred. But it's like ya said, Goldie. So long as we're together, we'll make it through this."

For the longest time, Golden didn't say anything. When she did, it was so soft that it was almost imperceptible.

"Thank you…"

Though her suit prevented her from showing it, Mike knew that inside she was smiling.

* * *

By Jove! What year is it good sir?!

So yeeeaahhh this was a long time coming and I apologise for that. Real life has been sneaking its tendrils into my writing more than recently. Biggest thing is that I now have a proper full time job that takes up most of my time, as well as a few other things.

However, that doesn't mean I have abandoned the project. Progress will continue but it will be slow. Again, I'm sorry for this but I do have a life outside these stories. Thank you for your understanding.

SynonymRoll: I think you'd get along anyway.  
And to know that a few others think the same thing.  
It sure as hell wasn't easy for him though.  
Your literary husbando? XD

Neon lololol: *twitches in the hug* Thanks- ACK- for understanding Neon!

ST4RSK1MM3R: A game- I mean story theory!  
I'll take a look when I have the chance.  
I'm sorry that's the case man. If you go find my account on FiMfiction, I posted a blogpost there that explains why it's been discontinued.

Monkey999Boy: Oh yes he certainly would. Wait, does straighten out mean pulling people's spines until they pop clean off? Cause that's kind of what I think of.

HickoryDaisy: Thanks Daisy  
Chica- No, she hasn't heard of it. There's only so many things you learn about when stuck in a restaurant your whole life.  
Goldie- She's only seen season 1 so far but she really likes Ozpin. And she's a Bumblebee shipper.  
In future, if you would like to talk to my characters, set up an account and PM me and I'd be happy to.

Archineer Rob: That's kind of what I'm doing with this particular instalment and you explained it just fine. Thanks for understanding, Rob.

Guest: Yes but where's the fun in that? And thank you.

Kitten: Cause I'm mean.

Mobslayer22205: Thank you for your insightful commentary.


	7. What a Lovely Day Shift

**What a Lovely Day Shift**

The rest of the night had passed in a much lighter air than it had started. They'd dug out the console that Mike had stored away and played a few multiplayer games. More than once, they ended with one on one contests between Foxy and Goldie, the two of them very evenly matched. Even when Goldie did win, it was a very close run thing.

Though she complained about devastating blows to her ego, Mike could tell she was happy to be included again in the group. After being an outsider for so long, looked upon with scorn and mistrust, it looked like she had practically managed to integrate herself again. There would probably always be those memories of the past, but as much as what was happening seemed to be threatening them, it also seemed to bring the synths closer together.

It still wasn't without its negative effects. Along with the others, Mike wished Foxy didn't have to do what he did. By the end of the night, he was still laughing and grinning, telling them all to stop worrying about him and prepare all hands on deck. Mike had glimpsed it falter a few times when he thought no one was looking, but it snapped back when he saw Mike watching.

Mike found himself thinking about it when he got up the following day. Considering all they wanted to do was to entertain for children, the band had been through so much in their time. They deserved so much better, simpler lives but by their very nature exempted them from that. It was both unique and somewhat sad. Not that it seemed to keep them down and it was an example that Mike was going to take from when he went out today.

"Good afternoon, Little Borealis! You are tuned in again to Midas Radio!" Goldie's voice crackled from the radio. "Now while it may seem a little nippy outside, let me tell you it is doing very little to dampen the warmth I feel inside for all of you, my dear listeners. Shout out especially to a very good friend of mine, my most loyal listener and biggest fan, Mike Schmidt who I am once again getting a call from. Anything you'd like to say today, Mike?"

"I would, but I'd hate to deprive you from the sound of your own voice," Mike said at once.

She laughed. "Oh, what would we do without him, eh folks? Well, that's about all the time I have for right now. I shall leave you in the care of Pharrel who reminds us no matter what, you've always got a reason to be Happy."

Mike groaned as the song began to play. "Oh god, that's going to be stuck in my head all day now."

"You are very welcome," Goldie trilled, humming along to it. "There is a certain infectuoiusness to it, isn't there? Come on Mike, clap along if you feeeeel…"

"You seem like you're in a good mood," said Mike while he made himself a bowl of cereal. "I honestly don't know if I like it or not."

"I'm so glad you noticed!" She appeared on the screen of his TV, a toothy grin on her face. "You see, Mike, I'm expecting an important and long awaited delivery arriving today."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Ah, no, I don't think so. I'd rather it be a surprise," she replied enigmatically. "You'll see tonight."

"Fine, keep your secrets." He fell onto the sofa and spooned cereal into his mouth. "Might find out when I go along there today."

She cocked a digital eyebrow. "So once again, we can expect to see you here during the day? Goodness, what is the world coming to? To what do we owe the pleasure this time or is it just to see how the other half work?"

"You make it sound like you work, too," said Mike.

"I do! I monitor the security cameras for you. If anything, I'm the honorary dayshift." She flickered and she was dressed in a security guard uniform. "Honestly, I think I should have Aaron draw up a contract for me because it's quite frankly criminal that I put the work I do into that place and get paid nothing for it."

"Didn't you once say that as a being on a higher plane of existence and enlightenment that you were above the uh, petty concerns of lesser minds?" asked Mike.

"What and that means I can't be paid for such a state of being?" she countered. "Not too sure about the blue though. I don't think blue's my colour. You know, I think I should be seeking other employment. Time to dust off my resume. But anyway, what is it that you will be coming by for this time?"

"Jeremy," answered Mike. "He's had to stand down to two angry mobs twice in two days. I think he could use someone to talk to about it. Especially since one of the kids missing is, you know… his brother. A-After last night, he needs to be shown that we at Freddy's look out for each other."

"Hmm." Golden lost her teasing tone and sighed. "That poor young man. He does well to act like it's water off a duck's back, but he's practically a kid. You're right to be doing this, Mike. He may not act like it, but I think he does need to talk to someone."

"Yeah," Mike nodded. "You're all there for each other. Susie always talked to me a-and Mr Johnson, even if it's not been… well, I should at least talk to him as a fellow security guard."

"Well reasoned," she agreed. "I wish you luck with it but I'm sure you won't need it. I think the two of you will get along perfectly fine. Who knows, he might be able to offer a perspective on your lady troubles, shall we say?"

Mike turned away. "I-I'm not gonna talk to some kid about that."

"Just a suggestion," she shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

"Noted." A moment of silence passed. "Hey Goldie? Can I ask... a guy mentioned something about the Diner yesterday. What did he mean?"

Goldie took a while before answering. "I was wondering if that would be brought up. Look, Mike, I want to tell you but... you're going to have to give me some time to answer that one. It's not an easy thing to talk about."

"Right, of course. Just whenever you're ready," he assured.

"Thank you and don't worry, I will. Like I said, no more secrets between us," she reminded him.

They sat and talked for a while longer while Mike ate breakfast before he threw on a shirt and jeans before heading out on his personal mission.

Upon arriving at Freddy's, Mike noticed some kind of delivery van parked at the door. They were unloading some fairly sizable boxes from the back and carrying them inside. Mike couldn't tell what was inside them but he suspected this was Goldie's special delivery.

A guy wearing a purple jacket wore a cap low over his face. He nodded at Mike as he past, apparently looking at him. Mike returned an unsure smile and looked away, not really liking the idea of it. Oddly enough, he felt like he recognised the driver slightly and was about to take another look when someone called his name.

"Oh hey, Mike dude!" His attention was diverted by Brad, loading some equally sized boxes into the trunk of a station wagon. "What's up, man?"

"Not much, just dropping by. What's all that?" asked Mike.

"Dude, I basically hit the mother lode of classic Fazbear merchandise here." He tapped one of the boxes. "I can't believe Mr Johnson let me keep it but aw man, this is so cool! If I can get my hands on the right materials, I could see about properly restoring this stuff. Or maybe leave it as it is, so people know it's genuine. What do you think, dude?"

"Uh, I'm sure you'll work it out. Listen, I gotta go but it was good seeing you," said Mike.

"Oh yeah sure! And hey, man?" He patted Mike's shoulder. "Thanks for going to see Susie. You're a good guy, Mike."

Mike muttered thanks and went inside. It was eerily quiet. The band wasn't performing and there were barely any customers apart from one or two. Mike's gaze lingered on Pirate's Cove for a moment before turning to the young man who sat at one of the tables, idly staring around the room until he saw Mike.

"Little early for your shift, aren't you?" he asked with a teasing grin.

"You know what they say about early birds," returned Mike. "A-Am I okay to sit?"

"You kidding me? Those seats are for paying customers, you gotta stand and wait your turn." He let that hang in the air before laughing. "Nah, go on, pull up a chair. Not like there's much going on."

Mike sat opposite him. "Nice to be able to talk when there isn't an angry mob going on."

"Yeah, they don't really help for socialising much," agreed Jeremy. "Kind of hard to get to know someone when you're trying to avoid broken bottles and bricks being thrown."

"D-Did that really happen?" Mike asked fearfully.

Jeremy shook his head. "No, nothing like that. Worst things that were thrown were some curse words but you hear a lot worse after going through high school, am I right?"

"Yeah," murmured Mike. "But even so, it's pretty amazing how well you handled it, both times.

"Hey, just doing my job," shrugged Jeremy, though he straightened up proudly. "Be a pretty lousy security guard if I let that kind of thing happen."

"Yeah, great job you're doing there, kid." One of the waiters, Bobby, passed by their table. No one liked Bobby and with good reason. The guy was a jerk. "Just too bad it's a case of too little, too late."

If Mike had been in that situation, he would have been doing his best to physically sink into the floor and not respond. Jeremy wasn't Mike though and he wasn't going to take that lying down.

"I dunno, I don't think this ship's sunk just yet." Jeremy gave Bobby a cool smile. "All the rats would have left if it had."

Bobby had no comeback for that. He just glared at Jeremy and stalked back into the kitchen, Jeremy giving him a little wave as he left.

"Good seeing you as always, Bobby!" he called out. "Yeesh, who does that guy think he is? You're kinda lucky you never have to deal with any of that stuff, Mike."

Mike shifted a little at the irony of his words. "Y-You seem like you handle yourself pretty well anyway, considering… w-well…"

"Considering my age, right?" It sounded a little defensive but he kept his smile. "You know, you're not that much older than me."

"I-I guess. Sorry, you probably get that a-a lot," murmured Mike.

"Don't sweat it. But yeah, he's just an ass. Like I said, I dealt with plenty of guys like that in high school. Not anymore though, got outta there as soon as my last year was done, probably even a little sooner. I only went 'cause it was important to my mom that I finish. She wanted me to go on to college to, but I just thought why waste another two or three years and wind up several thousand dollars in debt? So I went straight for trying to get myself a job somewhere around town and figure out where my life goes from there."

"I can understand that. Weren't you working at a 7/11 last time I saw you? Was that where you went?" asked Mike.

"Yeah, after I quit my job at a greasy spoon café. And before that, it was as a retail assistant in one of the mall shops in Greater Borealis." He was counting on his fingers now. "And before that, it was as a barista at a Starbucks. Least I don't have any trouble filling out my resume."

"No kidding," said Mike. "How come you ended up leaving all those jobs?"

"Same reason that I would have quit high school sooner, if I could have. I wasn't enjoying it, any of it. Sure, I got to earn money but what's the point if you're not enjoying it and finding, I dunno, meaning I guess? That's what my mom always told me. If you don't love something, don't do it. So I kept looking for something I could enjoy. Obviously, when I heard about the vacancy here, I jumped at the chance."

Mike didn't respond verbally but he nodded. As someone who had spent months in a soul destroying office job before coming here, he could certainly understand where Jeremy was coming from. In hindsight, losing that job was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. He hoped it would be the same for Jeremy.

"You really love it here then," noted Mike.

"And proud of it!" he replied. "Had practically every birthday of mine here and made every excuse I could to get here. Just… there's no other place like this one. I mean, have you seen these guys perform? I know they're just robots but there are times when they seem almost… I dunno, alive. I know, I know, it sounds weird but it's just the feeling I get."

"No, it's not weird," said Mike quickly. "I know exactly what you mean."

"I knew you would. I only wish I got to see Foxy perform when I was younger. He was still out of order when I had my parties but man, that guy is something else! My first day here, I got to see him do his thing and this guy is nuts! He's leaping on tables and giving kids piggy backs and doing sword fights and all this cool stuff!" His excitement died away when he looked towards Pirate Cove. "Then you hear about what he did and why he was put out of order in the first place and it's just… damn."

"Yeah. Damn," agreed Mike.

"It really sucks he's had to be put out of commission again, with all this stuff happening. A lot of kids really love him. My brother especially, he…" He trailed off and grimaced, covering it up with a forced smile. "Ah, never mind. It just sucks."

He tried covering over it with an easy smile and a laugh but Mike knew better. You couldn't cover up that kind of pain.

"I… I'm sorry about what happened to your brother," said Mike quietly. "I um… I hope they find him a-and all the others."

"Yeah, you and everyone else," replied Jeremy tersely.

Mike blanched. "H-Hey, I was just… sorry."

"No, no, that was my bad." Jeremy sighed. "Sorry, you were just trying to be nice. But… I get sick of hearing it. Yeah, thanks for being sorry about it but sorry isn't bringing him back and it isn't helping find him. I just want…" He took a breath when his voice started to tremble. "I just want him back safe…"

Mike didn't really know what to say in response to that, other than simply, "I'm sure he'll be okay."

"Yeah. Don't really know how you can be sure about that but yeah. Thanks," he murmured. "That's kind of the other reason I took the job here. I used to take him here a lot. He really had fun here, especially with Bonnie and Foxy. It was my responsibility to look after him 'cause our mom is usually busy at work. That day, I let him go home alone. Stupid…" He shook his head. "I'm gonna do my best to make sure it doesn't happen to other kids and that this place doesn't get the blame for the actions of some sicko. Whoever he is, he better hope the cops find him before I do."

"W-Well uh…" Mike shivered a little at his tone. "I feel sorry for him i-if that does happen. Considering how you do against angry mobs."

"You got that right." He scowled for a moment before letting another smile come onto his face, directed at Mike. "Hey, maybe we should team up and track him down. The security sleuths of Freddy Fazbear's, what do you think?"

"I-I dunno, you could find someone a lot better than me."

"Come on! You're telling me about standing up to angry mobs when you're facing off against armed robbers?" He smiled in admiration. "That takes guts, Mike!"

"You uh… you heard about that?" murmured Mike, feeling his cheeks grow warm.

"Well, it was in all the papers, what'd you expect? And hey, is it true that the characters helped defend the place too? That they're, like, security robots too?" he asked.

"Uh yeah. Yeah, it is," answered Mike. "Programmed to act against unauthorized intruders."

"That just makes them even cooler! That goes double for you too, by the way," he added.

Mike looked away. "Jeremy…"

"Nah man, I'm serious. You know how often security guards actually get to do security? I mean real security, like the kind of stuff cops deal with? Not a lot and most of them would have probably cleared off out afterward. Not you though, you stayed. I respect that, I really do. For a guy who's obviously not a local, you've got some real loyalty for this place."

"Th-Thanks. That… means a lot." Mike felt pride well up inside him and looked back at Jeremy. "I-I could say the same for you. I'm glad we've got you with us, Jeremy and uh… I'm sure they'll find your brother soon."

Jeremy nodded faintly. "Yeah, I hope so. Thanks again, man."

"So uh, you said a couple of days ago about being used to standing in front of a bunch of people?" asked Mike.

Jeremy's expression brightened. "You remember that? Yeah, I'm part of the youth theatre group in town. We put on shows every four or five months, it's a lot of fun especially when we do musicals. We don't have performing robots but we do alright with what we've got."

"Oh yeah? I've got a friend who's really into musicals too. I think you'd get along well with her," said Mike.

"You'll have to introduce me sometime." He waggled his eyebrows. "Is she cute?"

"U-Um…" Mike shifted in his seat and lowered his voice. "She uh… she is, kinda."

"Only kinda?" teased Jeremy. "Come on, Mike. It's not a crime to find a girl cute. Like there's this one girl I knew, in the theatre group, you wouldn't believe. Sarah. Cute as a button and she was great fun too. She could really get into the role, throw herself into it and just own every second she was onstage. I still couldn't quite believe my luck when I asked her out and she said yes. Yeah, things were pretty great with her."

Mike noted his rather sad smile. "What happened?"

"I was dumb. Dumb and proud. The way I saw it, I was young and I didn't need to be tied down to just one person. I mean, I'd stay with her but I didn't think there was any harm in looking at other girls so long as I came back to her." He shook his head. "Stupid. I had something good and I lost it, all 'cause I didn't think."

Mike was surprised how much this resonated with him, with Jeremy even realising it. He remembered what Golden had said before he came out and decided what the harm would be in asking.

"Hey Jeremy? Let me ask you. I-If uh, if Sarah showed up again a-and said she wanted talk to you again, e-even after everything that happened… would you do it?"

Jeremy stared at Mike for a solid two seconds. "How is that even a question? Of course I would! Yeah, there's some rough history and it'd be hard to work past it but it'd be worth it to try. It'd be good for both of us. If only she would."

Mike nodded slowly and sat back to think for a moment. He wasn't going to deny that he was scared about the prospect of this. Seeing Lidiya would mean literally confronting one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Yet he had spent a long time avoiding it, running from it but he had never been able to truly put it behind him. Could there really be a chance for that?

"I'm guessing you're not just asking out curiosity right?" asked Jeremy.

"I-Is it that obvious?" replied Mike.

"Sort of." He leaned across the table. "I'm not gonna ask about the details. All I'm gonna say is that if you messed up with another woman you knew before and you've gotta a chance to try and make things right, you're only gonna regret not doing it. That's how I see it anyway."

"I… I guess you're right." Mike stood up from his seat. "Thanks, Jeremy. You've uh, you've given me some stuff to think about."

"I know, I'm wise beyond my years," he said sagely and waved a hand like a shaman monk. "Go in peace, my son. Never forget what you've learned here."

Mike clasped his hands together and bowed ironically before heading for the main entrance. He paused at the foot of the stage and looked back. Jeremy had gotten up to peer curiously at Pirate's Cove. He drew back the curtains and saw the flicker of movement behind it.

"Hey guys," he whispered. "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, if we haven't died of boredom by then," came Bonnie's reply.

"We could always play Eye Spy," suggested Chica quietly.

"Spying what? There's nothing back here!"

"Oh. Right…"

"Never fear, Mike, we'll cope. See you tonight," returned Freddy.

"Bonnie will be treating us to a special surprise," said Chica in a sing song voice.

"Yeah! Wait, surprise?" she asked. "What surprise? Cheeks? Why are you looking at me like that…?"

Mike gave a little wave and resumed his move to exit the building. However, he stopped on his way out when he heard voices coming down from Mr Johnson's office and saw him accompanied by another familiar figure.

"Uncle Fritz?"

A man with a round, pudgy face looked in the direction of Mike's voice. He wore a flatly coloured grey suit and pants, a red tie and a very unconvincing toupee. Carrying himself with a self-imposed air of importance, Fritz Smith was his dad's brother who, in his own words, had 'made something of himself', namely owning a couple of restaurants in the big city.

They didn't keep in touch very much. His dad didn't like his brother and his brother didn't like Mike's dad. Fritz claimed that Mike's dad was jealous of his success and Mike's dad just said that his brother was a pompous jerk. Mike tended to go with the latter.

"Well, well, Mike. I wondered if I might run into you," he said gruffly. "Keeping well, I hope."

"Uh yeah, mostly."

"Following in your dad's footsteps then," he said in a way that clearly meant he didn't approve. "Not sure if that's the wisest decision you've ever made, Mike."

"No, you said that when I first wanted to study an art degree," muttered Mike.

He huffed. "Yes and look where it's gotten you, you and your father both. Tell you what, I'm opening a new restaurant soon and I still need to fill out some spaces."

"Thanks but I'm good where I am," replied Mike curtly.

"For now but I wouldn't be feeling too secure if I were you," he warned and turned to Mr Johnson. "I'll be in touch tomorrow. We can discuss everything else then."

Mr Johnson only nodded stiffly and shook Fritz's hand. He bid good day to Mike and left, the two of them watching his retreating back.

"What discussions did he mean, sir?" asked Mike.

"Nothing for you to worry about. You'd best get home and rest up for your shift, lad," he said and left without another word.

Not for the first time, Mike could feel a distinct dread forming in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't quite manage to ignore it, no matter how hard he tried.

* * *

Really back in the saddle now! I'm gonna try my best to keep to weekly updates. Gotta say, it's good to be back.

Arc of Carona: Thanks for your understanding.

Alex: Happy to put some pep in your step.

ArchineerRob: Much obliged sir.

JohnRyan117 Esp: That it is.

Fazboy32: Your encouragement and praise is much appreciated.

Guest: Duly noted and thank you.

Auto-Buscus: It does stink but it's good to be back. I missed you too, man. Thanks as always.

Monkey999Boy: *offers tissue*

Guest: That hurt but I deserved it. Don't worry, I'm gonna do my best to keep to regular updates.


	8. The Great Golden!

**The Great Goldie!**

"Okay guys," said Mike when he finished locking up that night. "I've been hearing a lot about surprises tonight so let's see what all the fuss is about."

There was no immediate response. The dining room was empty and the curtains for the stage were closed. It only added to Mike's anticipation of what was coming.

"Aye, I'm a bit curious meself," said Foxy, stepping out from his curtain. "I gather there's a fair bit-a fuss goin' on tonight."

"You gather right. Goldie tells me she's got a surprise tonight, Chica says Bonnie has one. I honestly don't know what to expect."

Foxy blinked. "Isn't that the point of a surprise, lad?"

"I…" Mike thought about that. "Fair point."

"Well, you are certainly right, gentlemen." Freddy emerged from the maintenance room with a twinkle in his eye. "This is an occasion we have been very much lookin' forward to. History in the makin' for Freddy Fazbear's."

"An event," continued Chica, wearing an excited smile, "brought to you by the finest entertainers this sleepy town has ever seen."

Mike and Foxy exchanged an unsure look with each other. What was all of this leading up to?

"But now, without further ado, the time has come for me to welcome tonight's very special performance," continued Freddy. "She's been retired for some time now, but I can assure you, the years have done nothing to dull the flare she's always had. She was the showrunner for Freddy's back in the old days and now she's back, in a brand new way!

Chica sounded like she could hardly contain her excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is our immense pleasure and pride to present… the Great Goldie! Magician Extraodinaire!"

The curtains swung open, revealing a large figure dressed in a sparkling purple cape and matching hat. With a dramatic whirl, it turned, revealing Goldie but looking much different. She was still an animatronic in a suit but the suit itself looked brand new. It sparkled like her cape, the synthetic fur smooth and pleasing to the eye. There were even actual eyes in the head now, blue like her brother's and she twirled a silver top cane in her hand.

Mike stared openly, his smile growing into a grin. He could hardly believe it and by the look of it, neither could Foxy. But both of them were clapping and cheering.

"Thank you, thank you everyone!" She bowed to them. Even the movement seemed less jerky. "It's absolutely wonderful to be back onstage again after so long!"

"So this is what you were getting delivered!" realised Mike. "Goldie, you look amazing!"

"Don't I just?" She flourished her cape again. "However, I still appreciate hearing it from you, my friend. Tonight, I shall perform for you illusions to amaze and feats to astound! But I cannot do it alone. Chica, if you would?"

"Thank you. Yes, every magician whoever performed is only as good as their assistant. A humble partner, helping make the magic real and who is not a magician's greatest companion if not a rabbit?" She tittered in delight. "So assisting the Great Goldie tonight is none other than our very own Bonnie!"

Everyone looked expectantly at the stage. There was no sign of movement, nor any indication Bonnie had heard them.

Chica cleared her throat. "I said… Bonnie!" Still nothing. "Bonnie? That's your cue."

"I'm not coming out," came her very irritated voice.

"Bonniiiiieee, you said you'd do it," replied Chica in a sing-song voice.

"You can't make me!" she insisted.

"Oh can't I?" Chica's smile became a little more sinister. "Do you remember that little poem you wrote about a certain lead guitarist you admire?"

A moment of silence passed. "You wouldn't."

"It was so sweet though. I think it would be a shame not to share it with everyone else, don't you?"

"No! Okay, fine, I'm coming out!" Bonnie stomped out from backstage and stood next to Goldie. "There! Happy?"

Once again, Mike was astounded. It seemed that Chica had made Bonnie follow through on her penalty from a few nights ago after stealing her guitar because here she was, as promised, in a dress. A form fitting velvet one that trailed down to her heels, with the straps on her shoulders showing off her arms which were folded in front of her.

"Oh wow." Mike stared openly. "You did it. You actually went and did it."

"I don't make empty promises, Mike," said Chica brightly. "Doesn't she look lovely?"

Bonnie's face flushed but she didn't say anything. She just kept her arms folded and grumbled under her breath.

"Well, I'll be a parrot's uncle," remarked Foxy. "Never woulda known, even after all this time, the truth ya try so hard ta hide." He grinned cheekily. "Ya really are a woman!"

She glared at him. "How about I come over there and make you into one too?!"

"Bonnie, no!" said Chica sternly. "You are not ruining that dress by fighting Foxy!"

"But Chicaaaaaa…!"

"No buts. You're just going to have to rise above it and behave yourself for now. I don't want to see a single tear in that dress tonight."

"Aye, Bonnie, rise above it. Ya know, like a _real_ woman would," teased Foxy.

Bonnie clenched and unclenched her fists. It was clearly taking all of her self-restraint not to respond to Foxy's teasing. Chica shot him a stern look too and he held up his arms defensively.

"Oi now, don't round on me. This a rare opportunity I have here, ya can't expect me ta pass up on it," he protested.

"I can and you will. Because tonight, I get to be doing all of the teasing," she said with another giggle.

Foxy stared at her. "Yer really not as innocent as ya seem ta be, are ye lass?"

"My dear Foxy, I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," she said in a sweet tone.

"Dear god, I'm in hell," groaned Bonnie. "Well, at least it's not one of those sparkly swimsuits you seem some of them wear."

"See, Bonnie? There's always a bright side to everything," said Goldie.

"Yeah, yeah. It's a good thing you got that new suit. Maybe now your old one's gone it'll stop stinking up the back room," muttered Bonnie.

"Funny, I thought that was just Freddy's jokes," she quipped.

"Are we gonna do this or what?" asked Bonnie impatiently. "I thought this was supposed to be a practice show for the real thing."

"Wait, hold on. So… this isn't just something you're doing for fun?" asked Mike.

Golden shrugged. "Well, it is but at the same time, this does indeed serve a higher purpose. You don't think they just got me a new suit to make me feel better about myself, do you?"

"Does that mean you're actually…?" Mike looked at Freddy who gave an affirming nod. "No way! Goldie, that's fantastic news!"

"Now, don't get yourself too excited yet, Mike," said Freddy. "Aaron is still givin' the matter careful deliberation but Goldie approached him about it not too long ago and he didn't seem opposed to the idea. I believe however, with Goldie's new suit, we can fully expect her to be joinin' us onstage before long."

"He did seem sceptical especially with what's been happening recently, but I argued that it might do the restaurant good to bring back an old face from the past. A reminder of our better days. It might provoke some more pleasant memories from some of the older patrons to see me performing again," explained Golden.

"I think it's great either way," enthused Mike. "So what have you been working on?"

"Why don't my lovely assistant and I show you?" With that, she pulled out a deck of cards. "Now Bonnie, would you be so kind as to shuffle these cards for me?"

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Really? This trick? What, are you gonna be pulling me out of a hat next?"

Goldie laughed. "Isn't she a riot, folks?" She waited until Bonnie took the cards. "Now, can you confirm those cards haven't be tampered with in any way?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Thank you. Now, if you would give them back?" She spread them out in front of Bonnie. "Now, select any card here and don't tell me what it is. Pick it, remember it and put it back in the deck." She did so and Goldie shuffled them, quite impressively considering the suit's large fingers. "And… is this your card?"

Bonnie stared at it. "No."

"Really?" Goldie looked at it in confusion. "Oh, very well then. How about… this one?"

"Nope."

"Oh. This is uh… a little embarrassing." She spent a little more time picking the next one. "This one, it must be this one."

"Yeah, that's it!" Bonnie beamed, then added. "That's what I would be saying if it was, but it isn't."

"Oh this is ridiculous!" Goldie glared at the deck. "It's this deck's fault, it's a bad one! Well, I won't stand for it being here any longer! Alakazam!"

Her hands appeared to emit a bright flash and suddenly there were cards fluttering everywhere. Bonnie jumped back in shock as did everyone else. But Goldie remained immovable in the storm of cards floating to the ground. That was when they all saw one of the cards that literally was floating. It was levitating between her palms, emitting a faint blue light.

"I take it, from the way you're staring in utter amazement, that this is your card?" asked Goldie.

"… Yeah, that'll be it," she muttered.

"Well, we got there in the end." She clamped her hands together. There was another flash as she did. She opened her hands up and blew, paper petals scattering everywhere. She then took a seat on thin air, her feet not even touching the floor. "And believe me, that's only the start of it."

The rest of her show was Goldie's usual display of theatricality and a little bit of dramatics with Bonnie providing colour with her snark and sarcasm for Goldie to work off. She performed another version of the card trick with Chica, this time supplanting an egg that she pulled out from behind her ear.

"Chica! I had no idea you were expecting!" she enthused.

"Wh-what?!" Her face flushed. "No, that's not mine!"

"Chica, please! You'll give the poor child abandonment issues!" Then the egg cracked. "Congratulations, it's…!"

"My card!" she squealed in delight.

She interacted with each of them. With Freddy, he pulled a plush version of Bonnie out of his top hat to the abject horror of the genuine article. She challenged Foxy to a duel that resulted in turning his wooden sword to rubber and making his pirate popgun shoot flowers. Lastly, she called Mike up and asked to look at his phone.

"Hmm. That's odd. I thought you said you didn't have any money on your phone."

"I… I don't, why?" asked Mike.

"Just look." She held up the screen to reveal a single cent on it. She even let Mike touch the screen but it was only the screen. "Honestly, Mike, that is no place to be leaving money. Hold on, let me just…" She slid her finger across the screen and the coin moved with it, coming out of the top of Mike's phone and into her hand. "There you go, don't spend it all at once!"

Needless to say, they were all up on their feet and clapping by the end of it.

"That was a fine performance! Bravo, I say, bravo!" cheered Freddy.

"Thank you, thank you!" she said, bowing to them. "They packed all sorts of little goodies into this suit but don't expect me to reveal them."

"Aye that was grand!" Foxy said. "Ya must have missed it a great deal, performin' onstage." He gazed off into the distance. "I know I did. Seein' their faces light up, hearin' the cheers and the laughter…"

"… the looks of adoration, knowing it was you that helped to make their day," finished Goldie forlornly. "Yes, Foxy. I have missed it. More than I can really say." She looked down at her body, examining her arm. "I used to be envious of you for the existence that you have, in those bodies. In a way, I still do. But honestly? I don't really care if I never get a synthetic body. If I can have the chance to join you all onstage again, I'll be happy with that."

"Yeah." They were all surprised to hear Bonnie be the first to respond to that. "What? Just… when we were getting trained, I always figured that you'd be up there with us. It'd be neat if that would happen."

Goldie took her time answering. "Well… thank you, Bonnie. Coming from you, that means a lot. Really, it does."

"Yeah, whatever. You're welcome, I guess, but don't let it go to your head." Despite her words, her smile was sincere. "Okay, can I get out of this stupid dress now?"

"And you call me the pervert," remarked Mike.

"Yeah, you are because you immediately said that," countered Bonnie.

"I can't win with you, can I?"

"Nope. So, can I?" she asked Chica.

"I'm afraid not," she answered. "I said you had to wear it for the whole night and we're not finished with the whole night yet."

"Dammit," she muttered. "Well, so long as I'm not having to do more dumb stuff onstage, I guess it's not so bad."

"It really isn't, you know. You look absolutely beautiful, Bonnie," said Chica kindly. "I mean, you look beautiful anyway but this really exemplifies it."

She looked away when she blushed. "Chica…"

"It's true though. Don't you think so too, Foxy?"

"Aye, ya look pretty fetchin'," agreed Foxy.

"Not you too," she whined.

"You certainly do. This shows off a different side we don't often see, I think," put in Freddy.

"Okay, I get it."

"An attractive assistant alongside a good magician can really help bring the act together," voiced Goldie.

"Yeah, I get the message."

"I agree," said Mike. "I get that you're not comfortable wearing one but you look really great."

"Oh god just quit it, seriously! I get it, I'm hot! You can cut it out now!" Bonnie protested, though she was clearly working to keep a smile off her face while it turned a shade of blue.

"So when someone says how great you are at guitar, you're fine but you get all flustered when someone says you look pretty?" Mike laughed a little. "You're a mixed up egomaniac, Bonnie."

"I'm a mixed up person in general, deal with it," she retorted. "Can we move onto something else now?"

"Well, may I suggest a good old fashioned, friendly game of Monopoly?" asked Freddy. "I realise it's not as advanced as Mike's electronic games system but it has its appeal."

"A fair point, Freddy but I question the validity of putting the words 'friendly' and 'Monopoly' in the same sentence," said Goldie.

"Goldie has a point. I… still remember what Foxy did the last time we played it," said Chica quietly.

Foxy whipped his head up. "Oi! I'll admit I lost me temper but what do ye expect any self-respectin' pirate ta do when ya keep stealin' his booty?"

"That's capitalism for you," shrugged Mike. "But I guess Monopoly could be fun. It's been a while since I've played it."

"Better watch yourself. Freddy's a ruthless banker," warned Bonnie.

"Actually," said Golden suddenly, "before we do anything else, there's something I want to talk with you all about. It's… quite important."

Her voice was hesitant. When she was usually so confident in speaking, this was a subject of concern, one that Mike was first to pick up on.

"Goldie, what is it?" he asked.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Well, it is but… it's something I've been keeping close to my chest for a long while. But I've kept enough hidden from you all and you've all given me a second chance when by rights you never should have. I vowed to my best friend that there would be no more secrets between us. It would be remiss of me if I didn't do the same for all of you. Please, take a seat. I think you might need to."

None of them said anything but it was clear they were worried about what she might have to tell them. Mike had his own suspicion about what it might be but he kept it to himself. She waited until they were all seated around her before continuing.

"So," she began, "I've mentioned before that I used to perform with a partner. His name was Spring Bonnie. Like our Bonnie here, he played guitar while I sang. We were something of a double act, sort of a mischievous scamp to my straight man. For a while, it worked out that way. But Spring always had… problems. His behaviour was erratic and unpredictable. One moment, he's laughing and joking along with it all. The next, he might seem like he's going to rip your head off. No matter how many diagnostics they ran or repairs they did, they could never work out what was wrong with him. But he was one of our main attractions and I didn't want to perform without him. He was like my brother. I suppose they expected me to be able to keep him under control and then they could always step in if things got out of hand. It worked, at first."

"Then I'm assumin' it didn't?" asked Freddy.

"Indeed. It all culminated in an event that became known as the Spring Incident. Our very own '87, back in '81." She took a moment before continuing. "It was a birthday party for this one boy. By that point, it seemed like Spring had actually turned a corner. He hadn't had an episode for about a month and so we weren't really keeping as close an eye on him as we should have. He was talking with one of the young boys. I don't know what happened but he started crying. Spring never liked it when they cried. He was trying to calm him down, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. The next thing I knew…" She stared at her own hands. "They were around his neck. Spring was yelling at him to stop crying, Aaron and Sid were rushing over and I was… I just stood there and watched. I couldn't believe it. I just…"

She closed her fingers into a fist and her body shook. Freddy found her hand and Chica had stood up to put an arm around her. Both Foxy and Bonnie looked shocked. While Mike shared their feeling, a part of him wasn't completely surprised. Having personally met Spring Bonnie, he could definitely say he wouldn't put it past him to do something like that.

"Wow. I knew Spring was bad but… I had no idea he'd done something _that_ bad," murmured Mike.

"It shocked me too. After that, they knew there was no chance of him ever really being 'fixed' so he was put out of commission permanently. Fortunately by that point, plans had already been finalised to move locations to here and we were able to close. With the announcement that the new performers would have the technical bugs worked out and giving it a new name and face, it didn't take long for the backlash to blow over. It was still a hefty backlash though and as you can see, some still remember it enough to bring it back again." She sighed. "Our franchise really doesn't have the best luck, does it?"

"Aye, that's one way-a puttin' it." Foxy frowned. "Not really sure how I feel about this Spring feller. I'm not sayin' ya didn't try ta help him before shuttin' him down but it still seems like a pretty big dive ta take."

"We did try, Foxy. I… I tried," she added sombrely. "It didn't work."

"Trust me, it really didn't," chimed in Mike.

"He… wasn't all bad, was he?" asked Chica.

She shook her head. "No, not at all. He had good taste in music. He always knew how to make me laugh. He was the only one who was, well, like me. We were developed alongside each other. The closest thing I have to a childhood friend. But not anymore…"

"What exactly happened when you went to find him then?" asked Freddy.

"He trapped us in an underground lab and tried to kill me while at the same time trying to convince Goldie to join in," said Mike bluntly.

"That… yeah, that is pretty messed up," agreed Bonnie. "But I gotta ask. Why tell us this now?"

"Because things looked bleak and hopeless then too, during the backlash we got. We didn't think we'd ever be able to move on from it, even with the new location and the new project. But even though it's not been perfect, it worked. Here you all are." Mike could hear the pride in her voice. "You're alive and you're living. We made it to this point, despite everything and we're going to make it again. I believe that and I'm going to be with you through it all. I promise you that. And like I said, I'm done keeping secrets from you all. Keeping things like that inside me got us to where we were a few weeks ago."

"Oh, Goldie…" Chica pulled her in a little closer.

Mike smiled proudly at her. Had someone told him a few weeks ago that this was the scene he would be seeing, he would have very much doubted it. Yet here she was. It really made him think…

"We very much appreciate your honesty, dear sister and your encouragin' words in this uncertain time," said Freddy kindly. "But let's try to turn our thoughts away from such things for the moment and have ourselves a little fun."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," agreed Goldie. "Let's get this game set up then."

"Um, you guys go on. I'll be with you in a sec," said Mike, rising from his seat.

"Everything okay, Mikey?" asked Bonnie.

"Yeah. Just… something I have to do first," he replied.

She shrugged. "Suit yourself. Don't be too long or we'll start without you."

"No, we won't," said Chica pointedly. "Take all the time you need, Mike."

He nodded gratefully and walked along to the security. He made sure he was alone first.

Mike pulled out his phone, looking again at the fateful text. He spent a long while taking in those words again, remembering how they'd first made him feel. Surprised. Terrified. Full of dread. He probably would have carried on as he had been, never replying to it but never deleting it either. A strong desire to run from his mistakes while holding onto the faint hope of possibly fixing them.

But he had had a lot of time to think over the past few weeks. Jeremy had given him some sound advice and just now, he couldn't help but feel inspired by Goldie. Despite her mistakes and shortcomings, she wasn't willing to run from them any longer. She was being completely open and honest with them all. The story about Spring Bonnie had proven that.

Foxy was another example. Even now, he received reminders about his biggest mistake and there was more than one occasion when it looked like he might buckle under the weight. Yet with their support and encouragement, he still found it within himself to keep smiling and laughing, in defiance of the despair that threatened to consume him.

The same could be said for every single one of them, Freddy, Bonnie and Chica too. Forced to hide, never being allowed to leave the pizzeria and live the lives meant for them, yet they still forged onward. They held onto the hope of something better and though they had faltered before, they'd always come back together. It really put Mike's troubles into perspective really.

Despite everything being against them, they managed it but they hadn't been alone. They'd found strength from those around them. If they could do it, why couldn't Mike? They wouldn't let him face it alone. None of them would. It was with this thought in mind that Mike finally typed out a response.

 _Hey Lidiya._

 _Sorry it took so long for me to reply, I had to take a while to think. Not much changed there, right? Also, sorry this is so late, I'm at work right now._

 _If you're still in town, then I think it'd be good if we met up too. A long time has passed and there's a lot we need to talk about. I don't have much going on throughout the day tomorrow. You just suggest a time and place and I'll be there._

He read over it a few times, checking it sounded okay and his finger hovered over the 'send' button. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and pressed it. A few seconds later, his phone confirmed the message had been successfully sent.

Mike let out another breath and put the phone back in his pocket, returning to the dining area. It was done now. The only thing he could do now was to wait and try his best not to think about it in the meantime. But sat here, surrounded by them all as they set up the board game, he didn't think that'd be much of a problem.

* * *

ST4RSK1MM3R: I know it's madness! I'm glad to be back. Sorry again for keeping you waiting so long.

Sonnie Celanna: High praise indeed. Thank you.

Monkey999Boy: Not again…

Lavender Hope: I do remember you and I very much appreciate it. Trust your feelings and I certainly shall.

Arc of Carona: Yes, he was.

Auto-Buscus: You often have conversations with younger guys about girls? XD  
Well here it is!

DnB: I can see where your frustration is coming from and I will admit, typing stutters is a little annoying. But there's a reason for it: it's how he is. Stuttering when nervous is a very common speech impediment that affects many people, including myself. Showing his nervousness through description isn't good writing either. Show, don't tell as they say. Sorry it annoys you but for the foreseeable future, that's just part of his character.


	9. The One You Let Get Away

**The One You Let Get Away**

 _Hey don't worry about it, Mike. It's great to hear from you though! Wow, you still have this number then? Guess times really don't change that much, huh lol._

 _Well, I do know this really nice little café here in Greater Borealis. I'll text you the directions later but how about we meet there at say, 2? I'll be on my lunch break then and we can talk._

 _I really hope we can put what's happened behind us. I've missed you, Mike. We've got a lot we need to catch up on._

Mike had read Lidiya's reply well over a dozen times while he rode the bus into town and it still hadn't quite sunk in. This was happening. This was actually happening and a very big part of him was wishing it wasn't. It would be so easy to just jump off at any stop before his destination, ride back to his apartment and hide under his covers, maybe send a message that something came up.

But then he remembered what Goldie had said to him that morning when he had just received the message.

"This was a bad idea, this was _such_ a bad idea. What was I thinking?!" he'd muttered rapidly, pacing back and forth around his apartment. "I-I'm not ready for this! It m-may not be too late, maybe I can just-"

"Michael Robert Schmidt!" That had shut him up. "Don't you dare start to think about backing out of this!"

"How… did you learn my middle name?"

"Never mind how I learned!" She flickered on his screen, a very stern look on her face. "If you go back on this, I can assure you that you'll regret it. I know it's difficult to confront your mistakes, you _know_ that I do! But it will be nothing compared to knowing that you had a chance to make up for them and you dashed them completely because you couldn't let go of what happened in the past!" Her expression softened. "A very compassionate, forgiving man was there for me when I had to face up to that. It would be remiss of me if I didn't do the same for him."

In that moment, Mike almost managed to forget his anxiety over what was to come. It was still there, nagging away at the back of his mind and in the pits of his stomach. But Goldie's words, the fierce determination that burned in her digital eyes… Mike was able to push past it in that moment.

"Okay. Okay," he'd said, a little louder the second time. "I-I can do this."

She shook her head. "No, not convinced. Louder and with confidence."

"I can do this!"

"Still not feeling it! Come on, sell it to me!"

"I _can_ do this!"

"That's more like it!" she'd enthused, beaming proudly at him. "Trust me, Mike, this will be good for you as long as you're willing to try. If you need to talk to me or you need me to bail you out, just drop me a call or a text, okay? I'll be keeping an eye on you, I promise you that."

That confidence had slowly dissolved away the further he got from his home and the closer he got to town. He returned to his contact list and scrolled down to Goldie's name on it. Again, the temptation was strong to call her and say he wasn't going to do it. His eye was drawn to a camera on the bus. Was she watching him through that?

His phone buzzed a text alert. He opened it.

 _You can do it, Mike._

It was a little thing but it emboldened him more, even if only a little bit. He smiled up at the camera and a few seconds later, a smile emoji was sent to his phone. He put it in his pocket and stared out of the window, going over in his head what he was going to say and how he would approach it.

The last time he had seen her, she was studying engineering at the same university he had studied art. They'd first met at a club based around geeky interests and she'd teased him about his ability to play Mario Kart and promptly showed him how it was done. The game had ended with Mike beating her due to a well-timed blue shell and from there, they had become firm friends. Through her, Mike had gotten to know a wider group of people but he was always closest to her. They spent a lot of time together, something her boyfriend Lucas was always jealous about. Then everything else happened…

Mike shook his head as he stepped off the bus. He didn't want to think about that right now. By the time university had ended, they had pretty much drifted apart and gone their separate ways. The friends Mike had made through her moved on too, leaving Mike alone and drifting on through life until he wound up where he was today.

Questions stumbled over one another in Mike's brain. What had she been doing with her life? Was she in robotics like she'd wanted to do? What had brought her here? Was she still with Lucas after she got back together with him at university? Most importantly though, what was going to happen when he saw her?

That would be answered soon enough for before Mike knew it, he had arrived outside the specified café. It wasn't a brand name like Starbucks but a little independent place, the sort of place he and Lidiya might have stopped at while they were studying. They were never really ones who liked to go out to bars and get drunk. More like stay home with pizza and video games or stop off at places like this.

Mike took a deep breath, placed a hand on the door knob and stepped inside. It was a quiet, cosy little place that seemed modestly busy, enough to probably keep the owners afloat. He took a moment scanning the café, but it didn't take him long to spot her. She had seen him first, for she was standing up and waving from a seat by the window.

There she was. It felt like it had been so long since Mike had seen her and she'd barely changed. Her chestnut brown hair was a little longer and she'd gotten a little more colour to what Mike remembered being a pale face but otherwise, it was like he'd only seen her yesterday. Even from here, he could count the freckles on her face. She wore a geeky t-shirt like she always did, one about the joke of an atom losing an electron. The smile that always made his heart beat a little faster lit up her face when she saw him and her green eyes twinkled with joy. She stood up to meet him. Still a little shorter than he was.

She started forward but halted, giving a little wave but said nothing. Mike waited but nothing was forthcoming. That put pressure on him to say something instead. Anything, just the first thing that came into his head.

"Um… hi."

Well, maybe not the first thing.

"Hi!" she replied suddenly and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, um. Yes that was a bit um… anyway, hi. Mike."

"Hi… Lidiya." Silence fell again. "You're uh… you're looking great."

"Oh thanks. You too." This time, the silence was broken by her laughter. "O-kay. I have to say, this isn't really working out how I thought it would in my head. I mean, I had all of these things that I wanted to say and a speech all ready but then I see you and it's just like… poof."

"Yeah, same here," Mike chuckled. "You'd think that… after five years of not seeing each other, w-we'd have more to say."

"I know, right?" She laughed again and it was almost enough to make Mike forget about the awkwardness.

Enough that he blurted out, "I-I missed you."

The surprised look on her face made Mike begin to mentally chastise himself but then she smiled sincerely.

"I missed you too," she replied. The smile became more teasing. "Still the dork I remember you to be."

"H-Hey, you were never much better." He nodded to the shirt. "Still got the same taste in shirts."

She folded her arms. "I'm not apologising. I know what I like." She gestured to the other chair. "Come on, sit yourself down unless you wanna stand here awkwardly for the whole time."

"N-No, I'm good. Let's sit awkwardly instead," suggested Mike, taking the offered seat.

"Very sensible. Awkward but at least we'll be comfortable," she said. "I already got you your coffee and some carrot cake."

"You remembered," Mike murmured.

"Yeah, it's weird the things you end up remembering about someone but that one wasn't exactly hard to forget. You'd always end up drooling over the carrot cake if they had any," she recalled.

"I'm not apologising. I-I know what I like," countered Mike. "Wait, how did you know to get this? W-What if I'd been late?"

She scoffed. "Mike, please. You and being late is something that just doesn't happen."

"One of us had to be punctual. H-How many times did you end up forgetting what day of the week it was?" he retorted.

"Hey, you know as well as I do that the life of a student just blurs together after a long time. At least I remembered we'd be meeting today on…" She paused. "I want to say Wednesday?"

They laughed again, the earlier awkwardness practically forgotten. It was almost like Mike had stepped back in time and they were back to being students again, sitting over coffee and talking about random stuff. Like what had happened was just a bad dream…

"So yeah, like you said. Five years, Mike. Wow… five years," she repeated. "Has it really been that long?"

"Five years, sixty seven weeks and t-two hundred and forty four days. But who's counting?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Uh, no. I-I just grabbed those numbers from the air," he said with a small smile.

"Numbers never really were your strong suit, were they?" Lidiya noted. "But hey come on! Five years. What have you been up to in all that time, Mike Schmidt?"

"What haven't I been up to?" Mike laughed but it became a groan. "Yeah, not that much honestly. Got an office job. Hated it. Lost it. Came close to losing my home too. Got a security job at a better version of Chucky Cheese and here I am."

She scoffed. "Like I didn't already know that one."

"Uh yeah, that's something I was wondering. How… did you know I was in town?" he asked.

"I happened a glance at the local paper, after that break in? I have to say, you were the last person I expected to be part of fending off a bunch of criminals," Lidiya said.

"Oh right, thanks," remarked Mike.

"What? Even you've admitted that you wouldn't bet on you in a fight. I mean it as a compliment by the way," she added. "That was really brave what you did." She smiled as Mike blushed. "Are your parents okay after that?"

"They're fine. A little shaken but otherwise okay," he answered.

"Knowing your mom, I'm surprised she didn't drag you out of there by your ear after that," she said.

"She was certainly considering it but uh, it helps when you've got some capable machinery helping out too," said Mike in a low voice.

"Oh god, you're not kidding about that!" She gave him a half-hearted glare. "You know how envious of you I am, right? I mean, having the chance to be so up close to advanced animatronic technology like that is just… agh! How have you not tried to take them apart at least once?"

"Because if I did, I wouldn't have a job?" replied Mike.

"Not important!" A couple of people turned around due to her volume. "Sorry. But seriously, you know what the specifications on those robots are like just from what I've seen from them? Full range movement, high performance visual processors, on-board adaptive AI?! The kind of stuff you'd get in a Terminator movie and they're being used in a kid's restaurant! It really boggles the mind!"

Mike shifted in his seat. "Well uh when you put it like that."

"Sorry, sorry, letting myself get all worked up again," she said, lowering her voice again. "Just I remember, when I first came here, I went by because you know, I heard the stories and I just had to see these things. This was obviously before you started working there or maybe not, I don't know when you did but anyway. You know, when you hear animatronic, you think of something jerky with barely synced voices that sparks and fizzles too much but those performers? They're amazing! I was actually able to hold a conversation with one of them! Do you know many variables that would take to program to pull off something like that?! I can barely get my phone to work its voice control properly but I can chat with a robot chicken about the weather?! I mean, just from that…"

Mike let her carry on while he momentarily entertained the image. To think that their paths might nearly have crossed then and there. Not only that, but given the recent dealings he had with Chica, it was odd to think of her talking to Lidiya at one point, especially considering she had taken the most interest in her out of the synths. Perhaps it was something worth asking her about, to see if she remembered.

"… Not only that, but they all had distinct personalities too! I would have stayed longer if management hadn't politely but firmly asked me to leave but… agh! What I wouldn't give for the chance to get up close with one of them…"

"You'd probably be asked to leave again," remarked Mike.

"Hey, can't fault a girl for her curiosity can you?" she said innocently. "But you know, if we could come to some kind of arrangement, you could possibly…"

He shook his head. "Sorry, Lidiya. Like I said, it's company policy to not tamper with the animatronics and that goes for visitors too."

"Darn it. Oh well, I'll be getting a chance to get a good look at something similar so-" She clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh god! I shouldn't have said that, pretend you didn't hear that! I'm not supposed to say that!"

Mike chuckled again. "Still letting your mouth run away with you then."

"Oh like you were ever any better with that," Lidiya retorted, sticking her tongue out. "Remember when you tried to ask out that sophomore? 'Uh yeah so um if you um uh w-wanted to um… I dunno, did you maybe want to um… yeah?'"

He cringed at the memory. "Lidiya, no. Why did you have to bring that up?"

"Because I enjoy petty victories," she said smugly, then frowned thoughtfully. "It's weird that there's no onsite mechanic for them. How do they always manage to stay so functional like they do?"

"They t-take good care of themselves?" suggested Mike, trying to sound casual. "So uh what have you been doing then? What brought you to Borealis?"

"Eh, similar kind of story actually," she admitted. "I got out of my degree and I ended up as an engineer at a factory that used robotic workers. You know, automated arms and packagers? That was okay for a while but I wasn't really feeling challenged. I felt like I could do more. Then one day, I get contacted out of the blue by a prestigious client!"

"Oh yeah? Who?" asked Mike.

"The manager's a guy called Fritz Smith. Apparently, I came recommended-"

"W-Wait, Fritz Smith? As in my uncle Fritz?" Mike interrupted.

"Huh?" Her eyes widened in realisation. "Oh yeah! Yeah, I had a feeling I'd met him somewhere before. Actually, did I ever meet your uncle?"

"No, you'd remember if you did but I talked about him a lot. I-It was probably a good thing you never did," he said. "Well, I guess you have now."

"Seems so. He hired me to work as a mechanic at his new restaurant. He's called it Fritz's Family Fun Palace," she told him, affecting it with jazz hands. "He's talking about it being his answer to Freddy's here in the city. So yeah… guess that means we're technically business rivals now. Isn't that fun?"

"Oodles," remarked Mike. He frowned at the news. "Why is he determined to compete with Freddy's? We're just a little restaurant in a little town. My uncle always had his sights on big projects."

"Mike, were you not listening to anything I said about those robots? There's nothing like them anywhere else. It's what gives the place the appeal it does and helps to keep it afloat, despite all the stuff that's happened and is still happening." She grimaced sadly. "I heard about those kids disappearing. I can't imagine how awful that must be for their families."

"Neither can I. But they're taking everything out on us now, blaming the performers and the restaurant for what happened. We didn't do anything and neither did they. It's not fair," muttered Mike.

"It really is horrible." She sighed. "Your uncle's being completely shameless about it though. He's calling this a golden opportunity. With all the backlash Freddy's is receiving along with its poor history, he says that now is the time to give everyone a fresh, new and safe image of robotic children's entertainment."

"I'll bet that's why he was at the restaurant. He was probably looking to buy out Mr Johnson. My boss," he added for clarification.

"Yeah, he mentioned something about that in passing. He's been really building up to this new restaurant. He's even managed to cut a deal with the company that supplied the robotics for Freddy's." The mention of that caused something unsettling to squirm in Mike's stomach. "I've been getting hints of this big project that they're working towards but I can't go into any detail about it. I mean it, I know I tend to run my mouth sometimes but-"

"What's the name?" he asked suddenly.

She blinked in surprise. "Name of what?"

"T-The Company, I mean. The one that supplied the robotics, what is it?"

"Oh. Uh, Hawthorne Enterprises. They were formerly an independent local robotics firm before they partnered up with Fazbear Enterprises. They had to break ties with the restaurant after they went downhill and from all the things that happened but… Mike, what's wrong?"

Mike didn't reply. He really wanted to believe that the name was just a coincidence but given what he knew, that seemed incredibly unlikely. But what did it all mean? Was Sid back? Did he know? Did he have some goal that he was working towards? And did Lidiya somehow fit into it?

The young woman in question was looking very concerned from across the table. Mike had never been very good at hiding his more extreme emotions. Part of him wanted to tell her, but there was no way she would believe him. That the animatronics were super advanced androids that were hiding from a man who intended to use them for his own ends? She would never buy it.

"It's… it's nothing," he attempted to dismiss.

"The hell it isn't. The moment I mentioned the name of the company, you look like someone just held a gun to your head. Mike, talk to me. Please. I know it's been a long time but I still care about you and seeing you today has been… please, maybe I can help with whatever it is," she offered.

"Th-Thanks, Lidiya but I… I'm sorry, no i-it's really nothing," he stammered, looking down. "R-Really, it i-isn't."

"Oh, I see." She sighed again. "Guess you're still just as cagey about your feelings as you always were."

At this, he looked up. "W-What's that supposed to mean? You weren't a-always… no, never mind."

"I wasn't always what?" Her voice took on more of an edge. "Wasn't always what, Mike?"

"Nothing, forget it."

"No, I won't forget it. If you have something you want to say to me, say it."

"Fine!" snapped Mike. "You weren't always honest about your feelings either!"

Lidiya pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. "Oh god, I knew it. I've told you before, Mike I didn't know what I was feeling then. I was… confused."

"You didn't seem so confused when Lucas showed up, saying he wanted to have another shot with you," retorted Mike.

"In case you forgot, Mike, you let me choose and I made my choice. You were the one who couldn't live with it. You should have said something sooner!"

"And after all I did for you, y-you should have chosen me!"

"So you're saying that you were owed something for being nice? Do you know how self-entitled that sounds? Are you going to start complaining about being in the friendzone next?"

"If you chose Lucas, then why did you never completely deny the idea of us being together? Why did you still let me think we could?!"

"I didn't want to break your heart anymore than it already had been!" she cried. "I know I should have been firmer but I just couldn't! But you shouldn't have kept it up the way you did either!"

"But… I loved you and… a-a part of me still does," he admitted. "Can you honestly say you don't?"

"Yes, I can," she said firmly. "Mike, I'm still with Lucas. We're happy, we're together and that's not going to be ending anytime soon. I thought after all this time… you would have moved on by now…"

Mike looked down again. "Then what about that night?"

"That was a mistake, Mike." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "We both let our hearts run away with our heads but it was a mistake. I regret what happened that night. Are you saying you don't?"

"No," said Mike almost instantly, though he wished he hadn't the moment he did.

The look on her face was like the one she had that night. The night when they… all of the memories came flooding back to Mike at that moment, along with the many conflicting emotions. Shame, anger, sorrow… despair.

"Hello? H-Hello, hello?" They both turned to see a man standing near their table. "Hey, Lidiya! I thought I saw you."

"Phil?" Her expression brightened a bit. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, not much. Just felt like getting a coffee, maybe a cookie or something to go with it? I-I always like a little cookie with a drink if I can get one. Adds a little something extra, you know?" He looked at Mike. "Oh hey there. Is this a uh friend of yours, Lid?"

"Was," she said coldly, standing to leave. "I've got to get going."

"Hey, no need to leave on my account. I-I can find my own table, I wasn't even gonna stay long," said Phil.

"Believe me, it's not on your account." She looked sadly at Mike. "When I saw your name in the paper, I really thought you'd changed."

"Lidiya, wait, I-" But she was already leaving and she didn't look back. Mike sank back into his chair and held his head in his hands.

"Wow. That seemed rough." Mike glanced to see Phil still standing there. "You uh, have history huh?"

"Yeah… you could say that. Look I don't want to be rude, but I don't really feel like talking right now," muttered Mike.

"Oh yeah, I understand, of course. I'll uh, get out of your way. Oh before I go. I think you dropped this." He picked up a piece of folded paper from the floor near Mike's feet. "Looks pretty important. O-Okay, I gotta go. Uh, see you on the flipside."

"But this isn't my…" Mike didn't have the chance to finish before Phil hurriedly left.

He watched him go, then looked back at the paper. Who was that guy? How did Lidiya know him? And why did Mike feel like he'd seen him before somewhere? Curious, he unfolded the paper and read what was written on it in an untidy scrawl.

 _Meet me here at 3PM tomorrow. Tell no one._

Mike frowned at the note and again looked where Phil had walked off. That didn't exactly clear anything up. But he didn't really feel like thinking about this particular mystery at the moment.

He absently put it in his pocket and began to play over in his head where he went wrong and what he should have done. Just like he had done before…

* * *

Monkey999Boy: Okay too much.

HickoryDaisy: Oh well what do you know?

Auto-Buscus: If you say so XD  
Nah, not really, I just liked the idea.  
Yeah we wouldn't want that would we?  
Just you wait and see…

Guest: Yeah, I suppose. Oh well, missed opportunity, never mind.

Mobslayer2205: I know of this series. I may look into it but good to have you reading again.

EnsembleSnarkHorse: Yeah it's what I like doing too, bringing out more development and fleshing out as time goes by. Like with Steven Universe.  
I will admit I felt the same way in regards to that bit. I will say that it is there for a reason and it was due to some changes I made with regards to the longer term story. I wish I had done more to be more subtle about it like I usually am but that'll hopefully be the one and only time I do that.

Arc of Carona: Thank you Arc. I have to say, I think that's the longest review you've ever posted XD but seriously thank you as always.


	10. Heart to Heart

**Heart to Heart**

He didn't say hello to the synths that night. If they said anything to him, he didn't hear them. He just locked up for the night and shut himself away. None of them came for him and he didn't want them to. He wanted to be on his own.

" _When I saw your name in the paper, I really thought you had changed."_

Those words echoed over and over again in Mike's head as he sat in the security office that night. The expression on her face swam into his vision every so often while he held his head in his hands, wishing he could go back and change what had happened.

But he couldn't. He had his chance to reconcile and he blew it because he hadn't been able to let go of the past. It had been going so well and it had started to feel like old times, like he had one of his best friends back after all this time and that they might actually be able to fix things. But it didn't work and he had no one to blame but himself.

Yet despite that, the memories of the past had brought something else back to the surface. Those old, spiteful feelings had resurfaced again. Why hadn't she chosen him? What did she see in Lucas that he didn't have, after everything he had done for her? Why had she let him continue to think that she might choose him at some point?

He gritted his teeth and slammed a fist onto the desk, not sure if he was angrier at her or himself. He buried his face in his arms and wept bitter tears over what had happened. Memories of his times with Lidiya; the good, the bad and the worst of all whirled around in his mind. He'd lost her again.

Why? Why did he have to be such an idiot…?

"Mike?" The gentle voice pulled him back towards reality and away from the despair he was falling into. "Oh, Mike Schmidt, you poor thing…"

Even through eyes blurred with tears, with the sweet tone of her voice and her dress like a shining sun, she could never be mistaken for anyone else. Before he knew it, she had enveloped him in a warm, comforting embrace. He tried to say her name, but he couldn't. He just cried into her shoulder while she held him.

"Shshshshhh. It's okay, Mike, it's okay," Chica said soothingly. "Let it all out. There, there, I've got you. It's okay…"

They stayed that way for a good few minutes until Mike's sobs began to lessen. When they did, she pulled away and brushed away his tears with her fingers. She pulled a handkerchief out of her apron and gave it to him.

"Here you go, blow and wipe it away." She continued talking while Mike wiped his eyes and nose. "We all knew there was something wrong when you came in tonight. Goldie said it was best to leave you alone but… I'm sorry, Mike but I couldn't help myself. When I heard you crying, I just couldn't bear the idea of you being on your own with whatever it is you're going through."

"I… I…" He choked on a couple more sobs and blew his nose again. "Th-Thank you, Chica…"

"You're welcome. Now, I think you need to come along with me for tonight." She took his hand and gently rose him up from his chair. "Come on. I promise you'll feel better once we do this. Trust me."

Mike at first said he didn't want to do anything, he just wanted to be left in the office with his thoughts. But he didn't. He let himself be pulled along by Chica, guided down the corridor, through the dining area and into the kitchen which was her domain.

"Here we are. Now, get yourself an apron from the hook over there and come join me by the stove. Oh and don't forget to wash your hands and I mean properly," she added firmly. "Get right in those fingernails and between your fingers, don't just rinse them under the tap."

Mike did as she asked, tying on the apron and joining her by the counter. She had pulled out a flat plastic container that stored many dough balls and was rolling one out into a flat pizza base.

"Uh, Chica? What uh… what am I doing here?" he asked.

"Helping make some pizza," she answered. "I thought that would have been a little obvious."

"B-But I have no idea how to make p-pizza," he stammered.

"Which is why I'm going to be teaching you," Chica replied smartly. She paused in her rolling and looked up at him again. "Everyone has different ways of coping and dealing bad feelings, Mike. Mine is to keep busy and the best way for me to keep busy is to hone my cooking skills."

"O-Oh." With what Mike knew about Chica, that certainly put a new spin on why she was so good and he felt a pang of pity for her. "I… guess I'll give it a try."

"That's the spirit! Look at it this way. You can't be any worse than Bonnie." She glanced around quickly. "D-Don't tell her I said that. Now then, first thing you want to do is use your hands to knead the dough and a pin to roll it out flat, like I have with mine."

Mike did his best to follow her example but he couldn't help but feel more awkward with the fact he was essentially working next to a master. He watched Chica's surprisingly nimble fingers working out even the smallest lumps. He tried his best to mimic her but somehow ended up creating more lumps than he got rid of. When it came to the rolling pin, he ended up making the edges stick out so it looked more like he had dropped it from out of a high window.

The finished result was a very sad contrast. Chica had expertly flattened the dough and rolled it out evenly. When Mike was done, it could barely be called circular and the lumps were still quite prevalent in places.

"That's… not bad," she said uneasily, until she saw the expression on Mike's face. "Okay, I will admit it's not the best first attempt I've ever seen but neither was mine. We'll get there. Here, I'll show you." She joined Mike next to his pizza and he felt his heart rate quicken with how close she was. "So, do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Well uh…" Mike hesitated for a moment. "I um… I met w-with Lidiya today. She s-sent me a text on my birthday saying she was in town a-and… yeah, that happened."

Chica paused in her kneading and looked up with interest. "Oh really? That's quite a coincidence that she happened to be local. Mike, that's good to hear! But I take it that things didn't go well?"

"You can say that again," he muttered.

"That should do it." She stood back from his pizza. It was a little better now, but not much. "Use your knuckles, not your fingertips. Okay, let's get the sauce." She pulled out the tub and spoon. "Do you mind if I ask, what exactly did happen between you two? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. I… figure maybe you should know since you're, you know, one of the few people I-I've actually talked to about it." He accepted the spoon and started to smear sauce on his base. "W-Well, we were close friends for a long time while at university. It really started after… well, I-I basically saved her from suicide."

"Goodness!" Chica nearly dropped her spoon in shock. "Oh my, I… I had no idea."

"Yeah. She uh… she lied to her boyfriend a-at the time about having a disease she d-didn't actually have. She um… yeah, she had some abandonment issues and when she told him the truth, h-he obviously broke up with her. I… I begged her not do it and… she didn't. A-After that, she s-said I saved her life. W-We became even closer after that."

"I see." Chica kept her expression and voice neutral but Mike could tell she had some misgivings about that. Anybody would. "So, what happened in the end?"

"A-After that, she swore off romance. Said it wasn't worth it. I was fine with that, I-I just saw her as a friend. Until… I didn't." Mike stopped smearing the sauce. "We had so much in common. Th-There was nothing we didn't share. We snuggled up watching movies, playing video games. She did too but I-I didn't know and neither of us ever admitted it. Then… her ex-boyfriend came back into it. L-Lucas, his name was. He'd dated a couple o-of other girls, had broken up with the latest one a-and felt miserable. Came to Lidiya for comfort and… s-said he wanted to have another chance."

"And she decided to give him that chance?" asked Chica in a way that suggested that she disapproved of that choice.

"Well… yeah. I mean, at that point, she told me how she felt a-about me and… so did I," said Mike quietly. "I let her choose what she wanted and… she chose him. Said he needed her." He clenched his fist and looked down. "I… I thought I could accept it. I-I told myself she deserved to do what m-made her happy and it did. She was so happy she got t-to have another chance with him a-and I tried to be happy for her but… I couldn't. I… I loved her. We carried on, still doing the same stuff but with that knowledge… i-it was different. Sh-She let me do things like c-call her beautiful and that I loved but like, as a friend only. She… she even let me kiss her forehead a couple of times. Sh-She must have felt something for me still because one night, a couple of weeks after she got back together with him, we… we uh…"

Chica gasped. "Oh my… you mean, you two uh… did _it_?"

"N-No, it didn't go that far!" he said quickly. "But… we did kiss. Like, full on make out and um… some unbuttoning. Then we r-realised what we'd done… a-almost done." He bowed his head. "If our friendship w-was hanging by a thread, that… that pretty much made it snap. N-Not just ours but the people I knew through her. Lucas really laid into me when he heard a-and basically turned the rest against me. I-I cut myself off from them, I w-went through the rest of college alone and she didn't even-"

"That's enough." Mike whipped his head up at her. "Sauce, I mean! Sorry, I meant that's enough sauce! I mean, well… it's spilling over a bit."

Mike looked down to see that, indeed, the sauce he'd been spreading had gone over the base and onto the counter.

"Oh… sorry," he said.

"No, no, it's fine. It can be easily cleaned up." She handed him some kitchen roll. "I have to say, Mike, I'm really not sure what to think about all of that."

"I know what I think about it," muttered Mike. "I think I was an idiot w-who let his heart run away with his head and-"

"No." The firmness of her voice made Mike pause. "No, you're not. I will admit it certainly wasn't the wisest decision, kissing her after what had already been decided but you said yourself 'we kissed'. That and everything else you told me says to me that she was trying to have it both ways. She chose Lucas but she didn't want to let you go either. She practically strung you along to suit herself and… I'm sorry to say this, Mike but that is horrible. You didn't deserve that, she should have at least set up some boundaries once she had a boyfriend again. You're not the only one at fault here. Did she even try to defend you when Lucas turned your friends against you?"

"W-Well… not a-as such, but-"

"There you go then. Again, I'm sorry to say it Mike, but that comes across to me as somewhat cowardly. Afraid to make a proper decision and afraid to speak up for you because it might make her look worse? Does that sound like a good friend to you?" She growled slightly. "I'm not a very angry person as you know, but I would certainly like to give her a piece of my mind if she were here."

"Wow. I… don't often see you this angry," admitted Mike.

"I know, I'm sorry. I don't like the idea of someone leading someone else on like that. It's just such a bad thing to do to them on an emotional level." She shook her head and looked right at Mike. "Quite frankly, I think she's lucky that you were even willing to give your friendship a second chance. If things haven't worked out, then all I can say is that maybe it wasn't meant to be, either as friendship or anything more. You have a life now beyond her and she has one beyond you. Maybe it's best if you try and let it go."

Mike turned his gaze downward. "I know. Like, I-I know you're right but… it's just so hard to do that, after… e-everything."

"I understand that. That's how it was with me and Foxy." She pressed a hand against the side of her stomach. "It wasn't easy, facing up to what happened and learning to let it go. But I did it and we're better for it. It was thanks to you that we even had that chance, Mike. But the only way we did it was because we were able to talk about what happened and both of us had to be willing to put aside… what he did to me. Even if she might not deserve it, Lidiya gave you that chance and there might still be a slim one but you have to actually talk about what happened, I mean _really_ talk."

"But we did," protested Mike. "We did talk a-and all that happened was that we ended up fighting about it and… it all fell apart again."

"Well then, there's not much else you can do, honestly," she said. "Whether you want to patch things up between the two of you or if you want to put her out of your life for good, you have to learn to let go of what happened Mike, otherwise… it'll haunt you forever. Personally though, I think you'll be better off without her. I've seen how much what happened between you has weighed on your mind and you don't need to carry that with you. Not anymore. You have m- I mean us now." She cleared her throat. "C-Come on, let's sprinkle some cheese."

As they did, Mike found his attention being drawn to her more than once while she wasn't looking. He considered what she had just said. The more he thought about it, the more he came to realise that were it not for what had happened with Lidiya, he wouldn't have been opposed to seeing if he and Chica might be able to have something.

He still remembered the emotional confusion he caused her from being so indecisive and confused. The fact she was still able to be friends with him now really did say a lot about her forgiving, caring nature. She really was something special. It was a long shot but she did have a point. Maybe it was time to move on from Lidiya and… she might be the best chance for that.

"Okay, there we go," she said brightly. "Let's pop these in the oven and wait."

"Got it." He did so and looked at her. "So are you doing okay?" asked Mike.

"As well as can be expected," she replied. "I'm honestly very worried about the children and their families. I knew one of them, at least a little. Martha Foreman. She's Anita's sister, you know the waitress? She sometimes had to come and wait for her sister to finish work. She never really liked coming here, I could tell. She was getting to that age where she thought it was all kid's stuff."

"So... teenager?" asked Mike.

"Very much so. But I was always sure to compliment her and talk to her a little whenever she was here. She always had her makeup bag out and was always putting it on or touching it up a bit. I always said that I thought she looked just as beautiful without it." She smiled a little. "I always thought she just ignored me because she never said anything but one day, out of the blue when I walked by, she said to me 'you sound really pretty too.' It was quiet, I barely heard it, but I know she did. To think of her, vanished along with the others..."

She hung her head and shook it.

"And it's just her either," she added. "I'm worried about us and the restaurant, what may happen. But I'm doing my best to stay strong. It's like Goldie said. So long as we're together, we'll be okay."

"I'm glad that's how you're handling it," said Mike.

"I am too." She smiled a little brighter. "It really is amazing how much progress she's made recently. I think her change in attitude has really helped to inject some spirit into everyone, especially with all that's happening. I know Freddy is happy to have her back with us."

"Yeah, I figured that. How do you think the others feel?"

"Oh, we all are. Even Bonnie, though she won't really admit it. Even though it's a precarious state, with Foxy temporarily retired." She sighed. "It amazes me how he can still laugh and smile with all that's going on. I know it must be hard for him. Then again, it's the same for all of us."

Mike smiled warmly at her. "That's something I've noticed about you, Chica."

"What is?" she asked.

"Whenever it comes to a bad situation, you're always more worried about how it's affecting everyone else before yourself. You're such a good, caring person, Chica and… it's really amazing," he said sincerely.

Chica stared in amazement, her cheeks turning blue. "Um… thank you, Mike. That's… oh, that's so sweet of you to say, thank you."

"No problem. I-I don't know what you saw in me," he added quietly. "You deserve someone way better than me…"

She smiled warmly at him. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You're not perfect, Mike but you're a good man. You're a good person. You care a lot too and you've done so much for us."

"You still think that? Even after… w-what I just told you?" he dared to ask.

"Even then. I don't think any less of you for it. Again, it wasn't the wisest decision you've ever made but I understand why you did it. I… don't imagine I would have been much different in that situation," she admitted. "But like I said, you deserve the best too."

"Well… uh…" Mike glanced around nervously. "Maybe um…"

"Yes?" Hope glittered in her eyes. "Mike, what is it?"

"Y-You know what you said? On Valentine's, h-how we both needed some time t-to adjust and… think?" he said, stepping a little closer.

He heard her breath catch but she didn't move away. "I do, y-yes. What… what about it?"

"Maybe…" His hand drifted towards hers, brushing against one of her fingers and gripping it. She didn't pull away. "M-Maybe… I-I've already-"

A loud 'ding' made them both jump apart. The pizzas were done. Chica turned her eyes to the floor and her cheeks flushed a deeper blue while she pulled them out. Mike meanwhile stared down at his hand. Had he really almost admitted that?

"Th-There we go! All done!" she said in a forced bright voice, setting the pizzas down. "There you go, even yours looks good. Not bad for a first attempt. Now um… what were you going to say, Mike?"

"It's… it's nothing," he muttered. "Just… y-yeah, never mind."

"Oh. Okay then." Her disappointment was evident but she managed a little smile. "Well… if it was what I think it was then… I still honestly need a little more time to think."

"Ah. R-Right yeah, of course," said Mike, looking away. "I-I understand."

"But," she added, "ask me again some other time and… my mind may have changed." Her smile became more hopeful. "Did I at least make you feel better?"

"Yes, you did. Thank you, Chica. I appreciate you showing me how to make pizza. Maybe… you could show me again sometime," he suggested.

"I'd be happy to. After all, I taught your dad too. Maybe we can make it a family tradition," she said with a little laugh. "Come on, I'm sure the others will want to eat these."

Mike's gaze lingered on her for a while before following her out, helping to carry the pizzas. She really was amazing but… was it really right to be thinking about her like that again? After what had happened between them? He felt rather ashamed of himself he'd begun to indulge it. He'd already broken her heart once, she didn't deserve it to happen again.

She glanced back at him before they stepped out and gave him another smile, one that made his heart skip a beat. He returned it. He hoped that the 'some other time' would come soon.

"Oh hey, check it out! Free food and… oh god, what is that?" Bonnie stared in horror at Mike's handiwork. "This thing that should not be!"

"Bonnie, don't be mean. This was Mike's attempt at making a pizza," scolded Chica.

"I'm not being mean, I'm being critical or else how is he ever going to improve," she countered.

"Aye well don't be too critical, Bon. It's not how it looks," said Foxy, scooping up a slice of Mike's. "It's how it tastes!" He sunk his teeth into it, then paused noticeably while he chewed and swallowed it. "Well it uh… it's in need-a some improvement, I'll say that."

"Don't worry, Foxy. I know I'm not the best cook. At least I'm learning from the best," said Mike warmly.

Chica blushed again. "Oh, you sweet man."

"Mike's culinary work aside, I am pleased to see that your spirits seem to have risen, my friend," said Freddy while he munched on a slice. "You were certainly lookin' worse for wear when you came in."

"Aye, aye lad!" greeted Foxy brightly. "Ya look like yer doin' be'er now, compared ta before."

"Yeah, you looked like you were well and truly done with your life." Bonnie's voice betrayed concern, despite the joking tone. "You doing okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Chica saw to that," he said, smiling at her.

A small blush came to her cheeks. "Well, I wasn't going to let one of my good friends be miserable all night."

"I had a very strong feeling she would be up to the task," nodded Freddy. "I'm happy to hear you've come back around again, Mike. If you need to talk again at any point, you know where to find us."

"Yeah. Thanks, Freddy," replied Mike. "Did uh, did Goldie tell um… you know, why?"

"Only the basics. I thought you would want to explain it yourself," answered Goldie. "Actually, Mike, do you mind if we talk? I think there's a lot that needs to be said about what happened."

"I guess so. We'll talk in the office. See you guys in a bit." He walked with her to the office. "I know, I know, I-I was stupid. I shouldn't have l-let my emotions get the better of me."

"Yes, you were and no, you shouldn't have. But I don't consider myself a hypocrite, Mike. I was the exact same way not too long ago so if by some miracle you get another chance, I'll do what I can to help you," she vowed.

"Thanks, Goldie. Th-That means a lot," Mike said softly.

"You're welcome. But in truth, that wasn't the only reason I wanted to speak to you." She stuck her head out on either side of the doors to make sure no one was listening and lowered her voice. "I think it's safe to say that I wasn't the only one who was concerned about the sudden appearance of Phil today."

"W-Wait, so it was him? A-As in Phil O'Neil, the security supervisor from your place?" asked Mike.

"The very same. Originally, he left after Sid betrayed us, to follow him and keep tabs on him by making Sid think he had a change of heart about what Fred was doing too. The fact that he showed up today, that he knows Lidiya in some capacity and that she's associated with the same company that shares Sid's family name…" She shook her head. "I don't like it, Mike. There are far too many coincidences. Whatever the reason Lidiya of all people is apparently working for him now, I don't think that's just an accident."

"But… what would Sid even want with her?" he asked urgently.

"I have no idea and I was told my brother, I don't like not knowing," she replied. "I know Aaron's been meeting with him, I've seen him on the security cameras on occasion. Unfortunately, Aaron has also rigged his office so I can't use any of my old eavesdropping tricks unless he specifically deactivates the disruptor in there that prevents my signal getting in."

"To be fair, i-it is a bit of a bad habit you have," noted Mike.

She waved a hand dismissively. "Not the point. The point is that even I don't know what the situation is with regards to Sid and now, out of the blue, Phil has come along and made a point about speaking to you personally. The fact it was done in the manner it was says quite a bit too. I think you should follow up on it. Go and meet him where he requested you and I'll listen in to what he says through your phone. We might be able to get some answers to some very important questions."

"Really? I uh… I don't know, Goldie," he murmured. "E-Everything I've been told about Sid, he seems l-like a dangerous man. I-I don't know if I can get that involved."

"Sorry, Mike but you got involved the moment you had your first shift here and you know it. Sid's intentions for the band, for our friends, have never been pure or good. If we can at least get some kind of idea of what he's up to, if anything, we might be able to act before it's too late. If it's not too late already," she added quietly.

* * *

ST4RSK1MM3R: Your hopes are in vain.

HickoryDaisy: *covers ears*

Guest: Do be sure to clean it up would you?

ArchineerRob: Don't worry I'm good.

Auto-Buscus: Mysteries, conspiracies and trials. We aim to please here.

Guest: You know, I never thought about it like that XD  
No, I do get where you're coming from. It's based on personal experience and take it from me, it's rarely so clear cut.  
Thank you very much, that made me smile.

Arc of Carona: Are you though? Thanks Carona.

xXPinkMewXx: There. There's more. Now again, don't post reviews like the one before or I'll report it as being spam again.


	11. Cafe Guy

**Cafe Guy**

For the second time, Mike took the bus into the city, though not with the same kind of feeling he had the first time. On the way to meet Lidiya, it had been dread mixed with anxiety. Meeting Phil O'Neil for his mysterious meeting had a kind of dread too, but it was mingled with a stronger sense of curiosity and duty.

Here was another opportunity to talk to one of the forerunners of Freddy's. While Mr. Johnson was his boss, Goldie was his friend and he had been told plenty about Fitzbar and Sid, Phil was the one he knew the least about. Apart from that he was the security supervisor of course, but he'd never been told anything about his personality or his interests or what he was like. He was practically a non-entity. Now, he had a chance to learn more.

But with that came the worry of what Goldie had said to him and the manner in which he had made himself known to Mike. Did this really have something to do with Sid? If it did, what did it mean for the restaurant and the synths? What did it mean for Mike? How was Lidiya involved in this and why? Well, there was only one way to find out.

He got off at the station and retraced his steps to his destination from yesterday. The phone rang when they came close to the café and Goldie's voice came through.

"Here we go. Okay, whatever he says and however he behaves, play along with it. He must have a reason for wanting to meet you like this. Just do your best to go along with whatever he says, make it seem as natural as possible."

"W-Will do," replied Mike. "Should I-I be wearing a tux for this 'c-cause I feel like a spy or something."

"Ease up there, Mr Bond," she teased. "Be good and maybe Chica will be willing to throw on a bikini and be your Bond girl. For now, you have a mission to complete. Also, stop thinking about the image I just put in your head."

"I-I wasn't!" protested Mike rather shrilly.

"If you insist. Here's another one to get your mind away from it then: Freddy in a thong. Bye bye!"

Mike shuddered as the phone clicked. "Oh, I hate you."

He stepped inside the café and took a look around. Not seeing any sign of Phil, he took a seat nearby the window and pretended to look at a menu while at the same time scanning the place. His eyes settled on where had sat yesterday.

His heart nearly jolted when he thought he saw Lidiya sitting there, but he blinked and realised it was someone else. He looked away before they thought he was staring and did his best not to remember the look on her face from yesterday, how angry and disappointed she'd sounded with him…

Mike imagined instead what it would be like if someone else were sat opposite him right now. Lidiya's angry expression dissolved away to be replaced with Chica's warm, friendly smile. The two of them talking about whatever crossed their mind, Mike telling her about his geeky interests while she gushed about the musicals she'd seen and the food she'd made. It would be like when they went out for Christmas, but this time Mike would be willing to call it a date.

"Hello? Hey uh, it's you again? Mike, wasn't it?" He looked up to see the man of the hour hovering behind him, with an awkward smile and what appeared to be a newspaper rolled up under his arm. "Hey, it is! Wow, fancy running into you again here, huh? Yeah it's a um, pretty nice place, isn't it? I-I like to come here on my lunch breaks. They do really good sandwiches. Anyway uh, nice to see you again. My name's Phil. Phil O'Neil."

"Hi, I'm Mike Schmidt," greeted Mike, shaking his offered hand. "I bet that L-Lidiya's probably mentioned me before."

Phil shrugged. "Uh yeah, couple of times. Maybe more. But hey, that's neither here nor there. Tell you what, you're probably hungry, I am too. Lunch is on me. What'll you have uh ham and cheese? That's what I usually get."

"Um… sure, thanks," replied Mike.

He watched while Phil went to the counter to order the food. So far, nothing seemed incredibly obvious about why he wanted to talk to Mike. In fact, Mike couldn't really guess at his intentions at all. He seemed a little nervous but that could have been his normal demeanour. Mike was pretty much the same, rambling and stammering around new people and social situations. Perhaps Phil was the same or he was just a talker.

"So how do you know Lidiya anyway?" Mike asked when he came back with the sandwiches. "Do you work with her?"

"Yeah, that's uh pretty much the long and short of it." He took a sip from the coffee he'd bought. "She's a really nice woman, friendly and easy to talk to. Plus, she really knows her stuff about uh, you know, robotics and stuff. But then that's why they hired her. Once it was known about her talents a-and her background, there was really uh… no other choice." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to pry but from what I gather, you've got um some history with her, right?"

Mike nodded, but didn't say anything to add to that.

"I got that. Like I said, I-I'm not gonna pry into it. That's your business and her business. Like, she never talked to me about it, not in-depth. She's mentioned about it a couple of times but nothing really, you know, tell all about it a-and I'll keep it that way." He gave Mike a small smile. "I hope that uh, whatever happened you can maybe fix it somehow. Might be a long shot but you never know."

"Maybe," murmured Mike. "But that doesn't matter right now. Let's… talk about something else."

"Yeah, yeah, good idea," nodded Phil. "So uh why don't you tell me a little about yourself, Mike? What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a security guard. I work for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza in Little Borealis. You've heard of it, probably," he added.

"Heard of it? Are you kidding me, I used to work for them and hey, how's this for a crazy coincidence? I had the same job you do!" He chuckled but it died down quickly. "Well, sort of the same. I mean, security guard, security supervisor, pretty much the same. Not even really sure why they called me a supervisor. I-I didn't supervise anyone because… well, there weren't any other security guards. Well, not until later but even then, not that many."

"I guess so," murmured Mike. This guy really did talk a lot. "How was it? I mean, working with Freddy's at the beginning? I know it used to be called Fredabear's Family Diner, by the way."

"Yeah, you're right about that. But yeah, it was a pretty great experience. Honestly, I'm glad I got to be part of it. I was brought on by the owner basically as a request by someone close to him that uh, I was pretty close to too. It was pretty great, like I said until the uh… the Spring Incident. Y-Yeah, they didn't let us forget about that for a while…" He cleared his throat again. "But hey, no big deal. We got past it, moved on to a new location with a new name and things worked out pretty well. I mean, you know, aside from a uh… repeated incident. Yeah, I heard a-about '87. Pretty rough…"

Mike nodded. "It was. I mean, I wasn't there for it but I read about and… someone I know was affected pretty badly by it."

"That was the same for a lot of people, I guess. But I'm real sorry to hear about that anyway." He sighed. "You gotta wonder, is it like bad luck or is the place just jinxed? You know, 'cause stuff like this keeps happening. I-I hope nothing like that happens again but then uh, there's those missing kids everyone is so worked up about. I sure hope they turn up soon a-and I hope that Freddy's doesn't get too damaged from the uh… the backlash."

"You and me both," replied Mike quietly.

"Y-Yeah." He sat quietly for a moment. "You know, it's kind of weird the way I see it. I-I mean, the way everyone's turning over every rock and stone to find those kids. Wherever they are, I personally have a feeling that it's a lot closer than most people think."

"You mean… in a metaphorical sense or…?" Mike asked.

"I guess so, yeah. Just from uh, you know, the way I see it anyway. I have uh, no actual idea where they might be. But uh just something to think about, I suppose." He cleared his throat again. "But hey uh, it's not all bad in terms of the things that have happened to Freddy's. I mean, I heard about what you did too. Actually getting to act like a security guard."

"Huh? Oh," Mike said, "you mean with the break-in? I suppose you're right, yeah although that wasn't really me. The characters, like I said in the paper, they're pretty much the only guards that place needs. I just keep an eye on them."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You could have run away after that. Heck, most people probably would. I-If you wanna deal with criminals, you join the cops. If you wanna sit around on your butt all day, you be a security guard if you get what I mean," he said with a little laugh.

"When you put it like that, yeah," nodded Mike. "Thanks."

"H-Hey, don't mention it. I never got to do anything like, except for… well, I guess the Spring thing and then there was when I got uh… a-anyway, so it's still pretty neat," he went on. "You probably didn't make yourself too popular with those guys. The uh, the old guards I mean, the ones you stopped. Like, how determined do you have to be to seemingly e-expose the apparent dark secrets of a kid's restaurant a-and then get stopped in your tracks by a guy who, from I guess their view, should probably be on their side."

"But it's not like they think," argued Mike. "There's no dark secrets at Freddy's. I'll admit it's got a chequered history but it's not like there's any great conspiracy to expose or anything like that. Just a kid's restaurant with great robot performers."

"Oh yeah, I totally agree. Yeah, the performers are uh… they're really something, huh?" His eye flickered in what may have been a wink. "But anyway, I do get where you're coming from a-and I'm on your side for that but you gotta admit, you're probably not their favourite guy, given what they wanted to do and tried to do. I-It's something else to think about really, as in what's their perspective like? You know, what drove them to do what they did and m-made them think it was the best thing to do?"

"I… I can't honestly say," admitted Mike. "We already said it though. They thought there was some kind of conspiracy around Freddy's that needed exposing. But like I said, it's a kid's restaurant. Not one with the best past but still. All that stuff is on the surface and they confronted it, they didn't try and hide it."

"Yeah, true. To an extent anyway," he added. "But despite that, i-it does make you wonder if anyone might have taken them seriously. Like, actually sat down and listened to what they had to say. There's uh, two sides to every story, right?"

"I… suppose." That was all Mike could think to say before they lapsed into silence again.

He was really beginning to wonder what Phil's angle here was, if any. At the moment, they seemed to be just dancing around random conversation topics with Phil rambling on about any slightest thought that seemed to cross his mind on the subject, then abruptly changing course. Mike knew Goldie had told him to play along but this didn't seem to be getting him anywhere.

On occasion, it looked like he was possibly trying to give Mike some kind of clue or hint to something but Mike was completely at sea. Maybe if he could direct the conversation towards something actually relevant and that he wanted to know, perhaps things would become clearer.

"So," Mike began, "if you worked at Freddy's when it was still Freda's, y-you must have known the founders on some kind of level too. Is that right?"

"The founders? Heh, that makes them sound a lot more epic than they actually were," he noted with a laugh. "Actually to be fair, I guess they kind of were. I-I mean, they were all experts in their fields and they had a goal they wanted to accomplish with their combined talents. E-Even despite what came after, what they achieved is pretty astounding. But to answer your question, I did know them pretty well. A-At least on a professional level anyway but we were a pretty tight knit group."

Mike nodded. "I can imagine, given that you started off pretty small."

"That's one of putting it, yeah. They were all quite a bunch. Fred was like an adopted dad to me. I mean, he gave me that job despite how young I was compared to the others s-so I'll always be grateful for that. Aaron, always the life and soul of everything we did. Always had some way to brighten things up. Sid was uh… well, he was a character in himself too," he said in a less fond voice than before. "He was always… ambitious, I guess you could say. He was kind of brought on as uh, something of a favour."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Mike.

"Well, his parents owned the robotics firm that was used to make the original performers a-and the ones after. They let Fred have access to the tech and the resources for a substantial price reduction but in return, he had to take on their son, a-as in Sid, onto the team so he could help represent the uh, the Hawthorne family name, I guess." He shrugged. "I mean, it was their name on the robots so I guess you could call it brand recognition personified."

"Wow," remarked Mike. "From what I've been told about Sid, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would take advantage of nepotism."

"You'd think so, yeah. B-But even despite that, it's not like the guy wasn't qualified. He'd been taught to take over his parent's business and he knew about it, especially on a mechanical level. He was… really something. They all were." He went quiet for a while. "B-But I haven't seen them in years. We kind of lost touch. Fred vanished, Sid set out to make his own way, Aaron stayed behind and I uh… went travelling for a bit. See the world, you know?"

"Did you see much?" asked Mike.

He nodded. "Yeah, a bit. But I'm back a-and from what I hear, so is Sid. Yeah, the guy's really making waves. Been learning a lot in his time away and h-he's ready to make some big changes from the stuff he's picked up."

That got Mike's attention. "Really?" He leaned in to ask quietly, "What kind of things do you mean?"

"I uh, I dunno what exactly." He broke eye contact with Mike and sat back in his chair. "Like I said, i-it's just what I heard. But best I can tell, Sid's ready to make his mark and it's gonna be a big one. H-He's got himself some pretty important trade secrets. L-Like the kind Aaron knows."

"What?" Mike leaned in closer. "What do you mean, trade secrets?"

"Well, you know, Freddy's isn't exactly the most uh, you know, stable of businesses. Just the way I see it, Aaron must know something the rest of us don't a-about keeping their budgets in the black. Must have some p-pretty unique assets," he said vaguely. "The kind of assets that uh… that other people might want. Who knows, maybe they already have them?"

Mike had to take a moment to process what he was saying. Once again, Phil sounded like he was trying to give him a hint at something important. Assets? Was he referring to the synths? And if he was, was he saying that Sid might have them?

Before he could deliberate on it further, Phil suddenly raised his voice and looked at his wrist.

"Oh hey is that the time? Man, let that get away from me. I-I should really get going." He stood up from the table. "Sorry to shoot off, b-but I gotta go."

"What?" Mike was bewildered. "B-But I wasn't-"

"But hey, it was really good talking to you, Mike. I-I know things seem kinda bad at the moment but you uh, just keep what you're doing and you'll be Freddy's golden boy. A-Anyway, I better go. Uh, see you on the flipside."

Without another word, he left Mike at the table and went back out into the crowded street. Mike sat in silence while he processed the abruptness of the departure before speaking again.

"Well… that was something," remarked Mike. "I mean, I guess it was interesting to talk to him but I don't see what that told us."

"I can see why you would think that, Mike but I would strongly beg to differ," replied Goldie. "What he said wasn't just for you. I think he knew I was listening. Why else would he have called you the golden boy? He couldn't say anything explicit so he said it in a way that I would be able to work it out."

"R-Really?I had some kind of feeling he was trying to tell me something but… I couldn't really work out what," admitted Mike. Then he noticed something. "Hey, he left his paper. Huh. That's weird, this is from a good few weeks ago."

He flicked through it, thinking there might be some kind of other clue here. His eyes settled on one particular article five pages in, one which he noticed the corner of the page had been folded. A relatively small thing in one of the corners, one that Mike would have missed since he usually just read the front page of newspapers and would leave it after that.

It detailed the release from prison of the night guards who broke into Freddy's. Daniel, Gordon, Stewart… They'd all been let out. According to the report, their bail had been paid by someone and they had been given jobs under him as an alternative to a prison sentence. The name of the man in question was Fritz Smith.

" _I'm a firm believer in second chances,"_ his uncle was quoted saying in the article. _"While these individuals may have been imprisoned for an unlawful act, I believe it was done with the best intentions. Therefore, I know that if I give them the proper chance to work and contribute as part of what I aim to build, I know that they can help to achieve something great."_

"What the…?" Mike read the article a couple more times and relayed it to Goldie. "Why would my uncle care about them? Why would he want to give them another chance specifically?"

"I don't know, but I have some very nasty suspicions," admitted Goldie quietly.

"Really? Goldie, are you okay?" asked Mike. "You sound worried."

"I am worried and no, Mike, I'm quite far from okay. I need some more time to think about it but I'll tell you tonight when we're with everyone else. Because if I'm right and for once I sincerely hope I'm not, we're all in very real danger."

"My, my," said Freddy, when Goldie told them of their meeting with Phil and his methods. "If you do believe he was speaking in some kind of code, what have you been able to deduce since then?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid." She hesitated for a moment. "I really don't want to have to tell you this, honestly. You've lived your lives in relative security and safety. What I'm about to reveal may shatter that forever, if I'm right and I have little doubt that I'm not."

"Would be worse if ya kept it from us and it struck without warnin'," reasoned Foxy. "Tell us, Goldie. We can take it."

She let out a long sigh. "Very well. Based on what Phil told us today, I can only come to one conclusion: Sid Hawthorne is back and he intends to undermine Freddy Fazbear's."

The reaction was immediate. Freddy's eyebrows shot up and his brow furrowed. Foxy snarled angrily. Bonnie shot out of her lazy posture and was suddenly alert. Chica's hands flew to her mouth and she gasped.

"S-Sid?" she whispered fearfully. "But… that can't be…"

"I'm afraid it is. Phil pretty much explicitly told us that and Mike's former friend Lidiya also told us she is working for his old subsidiary company that shares his family name." She paused. "There's something else as well."

"I'm guessing it's that he's changed his mind and is gonna throw us a big reunion party?" asked Bonnie sarcastically.

"If only." Goldie told them about what Phil had said about 'unique assets'. "I think he was referring to all of you. I think he not only knows about you, but he may have found a way to replicate synthetic technology, if not also create his own synthetics."

"And it just gets better and better," muttered Bonnie.

"But if he has made his own, then what does he want to do with them and what would he want with the band?" asked Mike.

"Again, I can't say with any certainty but if I were to guess, I would say he wants us out of the way and eliminated. Phil did also draw attention to the released night guards employed by your uncle, who we know is planning on opening his own restaurant that Lidiya also happens to be working for. Knowing him, he'll have found a way to make the technology better and to prove that he could do it. He may have something similar in mind with fronting his own restaurant: prove he's better than Fred in every aspect." She shook her head. "And I thought I was petty."

Foxy cocked his head. "But what do those lubbers have ta do with anything? Why them?"

"They wanted to bring down Freddy's too. Not only that, but they have local knowledge and no doubt did some digging of their own into Freddy's. They'd probably be more than happy to trade that information and do whatever would be necessary to bring us down," she explained.

Freddy nodded in understanding. "Considering their previous actions, that does seem within the realm of possibility. Which brings us to another question: how would they intend to do so?"

"This is the bit I was dreading, something Phil said about the missing children. Bonnie? I believe you mentioned something about the back room. You commented on there being a rather nasty smell?" she asked.

"Well, yeah but that was your manky old suit. It's cleared out now, right?" she asked Freddy.

"Actually, not really. I was in there just now. If anything, it seems like it's gotten worse," replied Freddy. His expression slowly morphed into one of horror. "No… you don't really think it could be…?"

All eyes turned to the back room door, left slightly ajar. It was as if it was tempting them to come and investigate the darkened interior. Mike was the first to step forward, albeit with a great deal of trepidation. He wrinkled his nose when he reached the door, already smelling something faintly unpleasant wafting through.

It only worsened when he actually stepped inside and turned on the light. The others hung back, cautiously peering around the door. Mike coughed a few times, using his hand to cover his nose and mouth as the smell seemed to get stronger. He followed his nose, trying to find the source while he gazed around the room.

It led him to a shelf. One that was decorated with five suit heads. One for each of the performers, even Goldie, Mike noted. But she had never had any spare suit heads, along with Foxy. Bonnie, Freddy and Chica were the only ones who had that. So where did these two come from and what was inside them?

Carefully, Mike scooped up the Freddy head under his arms, practically gagging from the smell. He rested it on the table and looked in through the neck joint. He could make out what appeared to be a bag of some kind. His stomach filled with dread, he reached inside and pulled it by the knot that had been tied. It was a black bin liner. Something red was dripping from the bottom. A small puddle had formed on the shelf where the head had been sat.

"Mike?" Chica's voice was fearful. "W-What is it?"

Mike took a couple of steps back. If there were five of these heads, with a liner like this in each one, that could only mean one thing.

"Guys," Mike murmured, "I… think we've found the missing kids…"

* * *

Hickorydaisy: Indeed.

Guest: They will.

xXPinkMewXx: I am aware, but if you were sorry, you wouldn't have done it in the first place. Regardless, it's done now. Just don't do it again.

Mobslayer2205: Practice. Writing is like any kind of skill or talent. The more you do, the better you get. Also, read. Get an idea of different styles and techniques, see what can play to your strengths.  
I rather liked it, I have to say. Certainly better than pretty much any FNAF sequel in gameplay terms.

Arc of Carona: Thank you very much sir.

Rodents: I very much appreciate it sir. Thank you for your review.


	12. Dawn

**Dawn**

The moment those words left Mike's mouth, something changed in the atmosphere. Up until this point, Mike's nights at Freddy Fazbear's were almost separate from the life he lived outside the restaurant. In here, wonderful things had happened. Bad things had happened too, but they'd always prevailed over them. It was like a dream or a story, something where everything is alright again no matter how bad it looks.

But now the dream was ended. The story was over. Reality had come crashing through the doors, seeping into his night-time wonderland and tainting it forever. The five missing children wouldn't be found safe and sound. They wouldn't go home to their families and have things go back to normal. In some way, it seemed like this was always going to happen. They just didn't ever think that it would.

The bag sat there, steadily dripping from the bottom, set on the floor like a black tumour. The knot tied at the top, it was almost tempting for Mike to go and untie it. To satisfy some morbid curiosity. But he didn't dare go near it. The stench was too great and even if it wasn't, taking into account the space inside the heads was about the same as a bucket and for what it would take to make a child fit in there…

It made Mike feel sick just thinking about it. A couple of seconds later, he was sick, gagging and adding to the mess on the floor. No one spoke or berated him for it.

The silence was broken again by laughter. Stilted, forced laughter from Bonnie.

"No. No, no. You're kidding, right?" She looked around. "Foxy, this had to be you, right? This is all just some big, really weird prank that you set up. I mean… it's gotta be, right?"

Foxy didn't smile. "I'd say I wish it was, lass but ya must know, even I wouldn't do somethin' like this."

"No but… no, it can't be. It can't be!" she cried. "Like, _that_ can't be a kid! It's gotta be full of, I dunno, old pizza sauce and manky ingredients! Maybe this was one of the day shift guys, like that jerk Bobby! Just… it can't be the kids!"

"Bonnie…" Mike stared at the red spot on the shelf. "That's… not pizza sauce. I-It's bl-"

"NO!" Mike had never seen her look this scared, shaking her head as if to deny the reality to the bitter end. "Don't say it! Don't you even dare say it what it is!"

But Bonnie's expression was nothing compared to Chica's. She stood rooted to the spot, staring openly at the bag. Then, she collapsed on her knees and though tears were steadily trickling down her face, it was as if her sheer horror at what she was seeing had paralysed her entirely. She barely even moved when Foxy knelt down and placed his arm around her.

"Goldie." Freddy's voice was quiet, trembling faintly. "I don't suppose that… there's any chance Mike might be mistaken?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Though this endoskeleton's scanners are crude, there's still the child care protocols worked in to recognise when a child's possibly cut themselves. Those scans are coming back positive for me. The substance there is-"

"I said don't say it!"

"It's blood, Bonnie!" she said forcefully. "As are the others I can make out under the other four heads! I hate to say this, I really do, but we are seeing here are what remains of the missing children." She turned her eyes to the heads. "This must be part of it. Sid's plan to destroy us, to give us a calamity that would damage the restaurant's reputation forever. They were planted here to be found. When word of this gets out…"

"Children. He did this… to children…" That trembling in Freddy's voice no longer sounded like it was from fear, but anger. "What kind of ungodly, inhuman…!"

"I know. I knew Sid was ruthless and ambitious, but I didn't think even he would go so far as to-" Goldie suddenly went quiet. "I'm getting images from street cameras. Police cars. They're on their way here."

"W-What?" Mike froze. "B-But… if they find this…!"

"No time for that now. All of you, suits on." None of them moved. "Did I stutter? Now!"

Now, they moved. They scrambled out of the backstage room. All except for Chica. She was still there, knelt on the ground, silently sobbing and staring at the bag.

"Chica? Chica! Please, we don't have time for this! We have to move and quickly!" beseeched Goldie. "Mike, say something to her!"

"I-I…" Mike tried desperately to think. What was he supposed to say? "U-Um… Chica?"

Now, she reacted. Only slightly, but she did. Her eyes moved away from the bag to Mike.

"Mike…" Her voice was cracking, barely a whisper. "It's not going to be okay, is it?"

"Uh…" Mike desperately tried to think of a good answer to that, but could only come up with, "N-No. Not right now, anyway. B-But… we'll find a way to make it better. I d-don't know how, but we will."

She choked on a sob. She rose slowly to her feet and a moment later, she had pulled Mike into a hug.

"Please… don't leave us," she whispered in his ear. "I don't want to lose you like we lost your father. Like we lost _our_ father…"

He returned the hug and with as much conviction replied, "I won't. I promise. Now, go. Y-You need to get your suit on."

She pulled away and nodded. She looked like she was going to say something else. Chica opened her mouth, closed it, nodded again and hurried out of the backstage room.

Mike went to the door to watch her rejoin the others, gathering up their suit components. Freddy had the better idea of taking his suit onto the stage and closing the curtains. The others followed his example, Foxy retreating back into Pirate's Cove and Goldie remaining in the back room with Mike.

"G-Goldie, what do we do?!" he demanded. "W-What will they think when they see this?! They… they m-might… oh god, what if they-?!"

"Mike!" she snapped. "Calm down. Losing your head isn't going to help us. When they come in here, stick with your story. You just found these here and nothing more. They can't prove anything that says otherwise."

"Okay," he breathed. "O-Okay. Guess it's all I can do, huh?"

"Indeed." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stay strong, my friend."

The strength and weight of the hand combined with the conviction of her words served to give Mike a little more courage. He nodded firmly and went to wait at the front door. He could already hear the sirens faintly in the distance, getting closer.

He took a couple of deep breaths, keeping Goldie's words well in mind. He only found the remains, that was all it was. He had no idea of how they got there or how long they had been there. He only found them tonight while doing his rounds. Maybe they would want to question him about it but if he didn't know anything beyond that, they couldn't do anything to him.

Although as he stood there, it got Mike thinking about those two possible questions: how had they gotten there and for how long? It could have only been in the last couple of days otherwise Freddy, who spent the most time in the services room, would have noticed them long before. If that was the case, then who could have planted them? They would have had access to the back room without any kind of suspicion being raised as to what they were doing there. One of the restaurant workers?

Before Mike could consider further, he was brought out of his reverie by the sound of cars pulling up outside and the cacophony of sirens. He gulped and, with shaking hands, opened the shutters. He had to squint blinding headlights of two police cars that had pulled up to the front. He could make out four silhouettes with what were unmistakably guns in their hands.

"Open the doors!" barked one of them.

Mike swiftly moved to obey. "G-Good evening, officers. There's-"

"Shut up!" The same one had his weapon trained on Mike. "On your knees, hands behind your head! Do it!"

"B-But-"

"On your knees, now!" He roughly grabbed Mike's shoulder and shoved him down. "Stay down there and keep quiet!"

Mike automatically obeyed. It was probably a good thing because his legs had started to shake violently the moment he had a gun pointed at him and likely would have given out under him. Two of the officers stayed with Mike while the other two dashed into the restaurant in the direction of backstage.

After a few moments, Mike heard exclamations of shock from them. He didn't dare try to look over his shoulder when they came back, he just remained rigidly still.

"What was in there?" asked the officer who'd forced Mike to the floor.

"It's… oh my god, it's like they said," murmured the other. Why did they both sound familiar to him? "They were… jeez the smell… I can't believe this…"

"Better believe it." The officer knelt down, sneering right in Mike's face. "You sick scum. You really thought you could keep this hidden? I knew there was something I didn't like from the moment I saw you."

"W-What do you…?" Mike got a good look at the man's face and he remembered. Blake, the guy who had confronted him on the street a few days ago.

The realisation must have shown on his face because Blake nodded.

"Yeah, you remember now, don't you?" he remarked. "Well guess what, Schmidt? We found you out. Now, you're coming with us."

"W-What?!" The implication of his words set in. "I-I didn't do this! Y-You can't-"

"Michael Schmidt, you are under arrest on suspicion of kidnap and murder." The other officer took his arms and placed them in handcuffs. Wilson, he remembered. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used as evidence in a court of law against you." She dropped the authoritative tone and murmured acidly, "To think I actually stuck up for you."

"N-No, please!" Mike begged while he was brought to his feet and forced outside. "It w-wasn't me! I just found them, p-p-please! You h-have to believe me, it wasn't me!"

"Like we haven't heard that one before," dismissed Blake, pushing him into the car and slamming the door.

He might have imagined it, but he could have sworn he saw a pair of violet eyes gazing beseechingly at him from between the curtains before they pulled away from the restaurant and out of sight.

Mike never liked getting in trouble with anyone in authority. From a young age, he'd learned that it was better to just do as you were told and everything would work out. He was the quiet kid who kept his head down and his mouth shut, not looking to draw attention to himself. He'd never smoked, done drugs, was always back home on time and didn't even drink that much.

Yet here he was, in a prison holding cell. He'd never been told off for so much as jaywalking before and yet here he was. They'd brought him here after his arrest, saying they would deal with him in the morning. Blake had looked triumphant and superior. Wilson had regarded him with utter disgust and contempt. No matter how much Mike had pleaded and insisted that he wasn't the one responsible, they didn't listen or just told him to keep quiet.

Now, all he could do was sit here and despair in what happened. He couldn't sleep. Even if the bedding had been provided with had been the least bit comfortable (which it wasn't) there was no way he would have been able sleep after all that happened.

How? How could they possibly think he was the one who had done this? The way they had talked when they showed up, it was like it was a forgone conclusion. Wilson had mentioned about being told about what they would find. Some kind of tip off? Sid. He did this or maybe someone who worked for him. This was all part of his plan, it had to be. Hopefully, Mr Johnson would be able to look after the synths until…

Mike's heart ached at the thought of them, hiding away behind the curtains, unable to do anything while the police dragged him away. He'd promised Chica that he wouldn't leave them and now this had happened. What was going to happen to them? If the police were going to commit to a more thorough examination of Freddy's, would they discover the truth about them? If they did, what were they going to do to them?

The weight of what had happened combined with all of these worries and fears was enough to make Mike break down in tears. For how long, he couldn't be certain. There was no clock in here and he didn't care anyway. But at some point, he picked himself up off the floor, wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve and did his best to return to a state of calm.

He repeated Goldie's last words to him like a mantra in his head. All he had to do was stick to the truth. He had nothing to do with this and they couldn't prove anything. Once this was cleared up, he would get out and get back to them, come up with some kind of plan. There had to be a way out of this. Goldie would think of something, he was sure of it. He wished she was here. He wished all of them were here.

Mike closed his eyes and did his best to imagine that they were, what they would say to him if they were here.

" _They can't prove anything, Mike. Just stay calm and tell them what you know. It'll be fine."_

" _I know it's quite a harrowin' thing what's happenin' right now, Mike. But you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Hold onto that strength, son."_

" _Yer me first mate, Mike. I've never known a more loyal and dedicated man like yerself. It's a fierce storm that's struck ta be sure, but we'll wether it lad, tagether."_

" _You think these guys are bad, Mikey? You and I both know you've made it through worse things and that's just with what I do to you every night. Seriously though, keep it together, dude."_

" _Mike… you can do this. I know you can. Then keep your promise and come back to us. To me. Please."_

It was only in his mind, but it was better than nothing. When they opened his cell door and took him to one of the interrogation rooms, he felt ready. They sat him down with his back to the door and he waited. After about fifteen minutes of being sat in there alone, the door opened again. Officers Wilson and Blake stepped in, the former carrying a file and the latter looking just as superior as he had when Mike had been brought in.

"Morning, Schmidt. Sleep well? Hope the beds weren't too uncomfortable." He slid easily into the chair opposite while Wilson stood behind him. "You want me to bring you some extra pillows? Maybe a blanket? You're gonna be here for a while, so you might as well get a few comforts."

"I didn't do it," Mike said at once, refusing to be baited. "I had nothing to do with what happened. I just found them."

"Really?" He dropped the smile and leaned across. "You've got some nerve, Schmidt. I already warned you once about lying to an officer of the law and you're still at it? Well, let's see how long you hold out."

"Mr Schmidt," said Wilson in a clipped voice. "We have some questions we want to ask you. I want straight and honest answers from you, got it?"

"Y-Yes ma'am," replied Mike.

"Good. As you know, tonight, we came across you and human remains in bags in the services and parts room of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. We haven't gotten back official confirmation yet, but initial investigation confirms that the remains of Katie O'Malley, Robert Fitzgerald, Max Boyle, William Davies and Martha Foreman were in each of those bags. As you know, these children have been missing for some time and now, we'll have to tell their families so they can bury what little remains of their kids." She said the last part with particular venom.

"I… I'm sorry," murmured Mike.

"Uh huh. Now, we need to figure out what your involvement in this is. What were you doing when you discovered the remains?" she asked.

"Just uh, my nightly rounds. I went into the back room, I noticed the smell and uh… that's when I found them," Mike said simply.

"Right." She didn't sound convinced. "So you wouldn't know anything about where they were before, would you?"

"Uh… before?" he asked, confused.

"Don't play dumb, Schmidt," scoffed Blake. "When we first searched that place, we didn't find anything in there but then they suddenly show up a week after we left? Awful convenient timing, isn't it, that they get put in there only after we've crossed the place off the list?"

"I uh… I guess so. B-But I don't know where they were. Like I said, I-I just found them," replied Mike.

"So you only just found them tonight, is that it? You're seriously telling me that you didn't notice it on any of your other 'rounds' of any night in this past week?" asked Wilson sceptically.

"Um… n-not really," answered Mike. "There's like a um… a-an oily smell back there usually. I didn't really notice it."

Blake barked a laugh. "Oh yeah, I can easily see how you'd get mixed up the smells of machine oil and rotting flesh. Happens all the time with you, I'm sure."

"Let me ask you something else, Mr Schmidt," said Wilson. "What is it exactly that you do there every night? These rounds you talk about, what do you do?"

"Honestly not much," said Mike. "I lock up and close all the shutters. I-I sit in the office for a bit, watch the monitors. I get up every now a-and again, do a little patrol of all the rooms and check on the robots and head back again. I do some art to pass the time too, i-it gets kind of dull and… well, wash, rinse, repeat mainly. Nothing special."

"That so?" She flicked through some of the pages. "Then how come it is we have reported incidents here where you failed to report in for multiple consecutive nights?"

Mike's stomach dropped. "Ah. Um… w-well…"

"Since you're obviously not sure what I'm talking about, let me explain. We have a written testimony here that says that, for the week of Christmas and two weeks ago, you were not present for your nightly duties for unspecified reasons. Care to explain that?"

"I… j-just needed the time off. Like Christmas, y-you know?" he said as casually as he could.

"So why on this same testimony does it say that you came in to work on Christmas Day? Instead of being home with your family, you decided it was better to spend it in a dark kid's restaurant with robot furries?" asked Blake. "Just how long did you have this thing planned in the works, huh?"

"I-I didn't-"

"And that time off you took? Was time you spent stalking those kids or was that when you decided to act on your sick plan?" he demanded, leaning across the table. "We've got no one who can account for your movements at night or even during the day. Keep to yourself a lot, don't you, Schmidt?"

"Th-That's not true! I-I meet up with some friends uh, s-sometimes," he defended weakly. "A-And when I don't I just… I-I do my own thing. E-Even if I don't go out much.

"Sounds like you've really got yourself an active social life then," he said sarcastically. "So if we were to ask your neighbours at the apartment complex you live at, they'd be able to confirm you spend most of your time at home? Alone?"

"Y-Yeah, pretty much. I-I sometimes have a friend over b-but not much else beside that," he said.

"Oh and which friend would this be?" asked Blake.

"N-No one special just uh… y-yeah, just a friend," answered Mike.

"Uh huh, right." Blake leaned back but never took his eyes off Mike. "Look Schmidt, why don't you just come clean? We've already got it as part of this testimony why you did what you did."

"According to this, plus some checks we did, your dad used to work at that place in the same position," continued Wilson. "After '87, things got so bad that your dad had to move town and change his name to escape the abuse. Then years later, his son just so happens to wind up at the same place, with the same job and worked to bring back the offending robot that committed the act, despite warnings of its clearly potentially dangerous nature."

"That speaks to a motive to me," said Blake. "You wanted payback against the place that tore your dad down and you were hoping that thing would do it for you. When it didn't, you took matters into your own hands to bring them down forever."

"Th-That's not true!" insisted Mike. "I n-never did it for that, he's n-not dangerous!"

"You're really telling us that after it bit a man's head off, plus what it almost did to someone else not too long ago?" Wilson asked.

"Add to that we have five separate witness testimonies from those ex-guards that broke into the place, telling us that not just the fox thing but basically all of those robots are also potentially dangerous, a subject the place itself has always been pretty cagey about, along with a few other things about them too." Blake kept Mike fixed in that stare. "To me, anyone that directly associates themselves with those things after hours isn't doing it for the most wholesome of reasons."

"I didn't do it!" Mike repeated. "It's not true! Who even made that first testimony saying all that stuff?!"

"Funny you should ask that. We got all that from your boss, Aaron Johnson," replied Wilson.

Mike was struck dumb at that. He faintly shook his head while Wilson continued talking.

"He told us himself that he wasn't keen on bringing back that fox robot but you managed to persuade him anyway and that he had a funny feeling about you the minute he gave you the job, that only grew worse the way you applied yourself to it," she said. "You keep saying you didn't do it, but you can't deny there is a lot going against you here."

"Anything else you want to say for yourself?" asked Blake. Mike was silent. "No? Nothing? Yeah, that's what I thought. Let's get him back to the cells, let him think some more about how best to answer our questions."

Mike barely acknowledged that they were leading him by the arm back to his cell or when the door closed, locking him in once again. All he could think of was the name on that witness testimony and ask himself one question as he broke down once more.

"Mr Johnson… Aaron… why…?"

* * *

His brother was dead. It was a fact that still hadn't quite sunk in to Jeremy Fitzgerald's head while he walked numbly through the streets of his home town to work. When those cops showed up at the door with those looks on their faces, he knew it wasn't going to be good news. Even so, he wasn't fully prepared for what they told him.

His brother. Little Bobbie. He was gone.

He shook the thoughts out of his head. He would deal with it later, once he was done at work. He had to stay strong for them. For him. He furiously blinked his eyes to keep back the tears that threatened to fall and got off the bus.

Around the corner was the restaurant. However, when he got there he found a rather large crowd stood outside. From the sound of it, it was a mix of reporters and those angry parents he had been dealing with a lot recently. The entrance was cordoned off was police tape, their cars parked outside and officers moving in.

Looking around, he saw a small gathering on the fringes made up of some of his fellow restaurant staff. He recognised two of the waiters, Ken and Anita as well as a couple of others he didn't. There was that girl Susie from the front desk and the other guy, Brad.

"Hey guys, what's going on? What is all this?" asked Jeremy.

"Take a look," offered Ken. "Anita's streaming it on her phone."

He peered over to see a breaking news page. In front of the crowd before them stood Aaron Johnson. Behind him was a tubby looking fat cat, a seedy looking guy and another who was just kind of average. The announcement scrolling on the bottom detailed that Freddy's was going to be closing down.

"No. No way, they can't be serious," he muttered.

"They are," replied one of the guys. Jeremy assumed he was probably a cook. "We only heard about it when we got here. Those kids that went missing? They found them in bags in the back room. I mean, garbage bags. Can't imagine what someone would have done to-"

"Alan!" hissed Susie. "Shut up! One of those was Anita's sister, not to Jeremy's brother!"

"Who's Jeremy?" The guy, Alan, took a moment and his eyes widened. "Oh god. Oh jeeze man, I… I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Doesn't matter," dismissed Jeremy. "So what this place is a crime scene now?"

"Seems like it," said Anita quietly, still staring intently at the screen.

It was hard to tell what she could be feeling. At work, Jeremy had rarely seen her even smile or laugh or lose her cool about anything. It looked like she was doing all she could to maintain that.

"They arrested someone though. That weird night shift guy, Schmidt. Caught him red handed last night with the bags stuffed inside the suit heads," said Alan.

"Schmidt? You mean Mike Schmidt?" Jeremy had to laugh a little. "No, no, that can't be right. There's no way he could have done it."

"That's what I said!" cried Susie. "You can't say he's responsible, Alan. You've never even spoken to him!"

"Look, all I know is the guy kept himself to himself a lot and he spent a lot of time on his own when this place was locked up. Who knows what he got up to during the day? Guy like that, I'm guessing he doesn't get out much. Sounds about right doesn't it, Carl?" he asked his fellow cook.

"Yeah, sounds about right to me," he agreed. "You always gotta watch the quiet ones 'cause you never know what they're capable of."

"Hey cool it, dude," placated Brad. "Like, there's no need to go guilty till proven innocent on Mike. The guy's a really stand up dude from what I could tell."

"Yeah, 'cause we know you've always got a sound opinion don't we, Brad?" Carl returned sarcastically.

Brad blinked vacantly. "Okay, now I'm pretty sure that was an insult but I'm gonna let it slide and pretend like I didn't notice."

"I'll try and be more obvious this time then: you're an idiot," Carl said bluntly.

Susie thrust a finger at him. "Carl, there is absolutely no need for-!"

"Shut up!" hissed Anita. "They just asked what's going to happen with the place!"

They all leaned in to listen to Aaron's response or if they couldn't, read the subtitles.

"I can't say much for the future of this restaurant. Until such a time as may be deemed otherwise, this establishment will be closed," he announced. "For the present time, I have allowed certain unique rights and assets to be passed on to my associate here, Mr Fritz Smith. He is… an upstanding businessman who owns a great many successful sites in the Greater Borealis area and has graciously offered employment for all former restaurant staff for the opening of his new restaurant in a few week's time. Mr Smith?"

"Yes indeed, Mr Johnson." The fat cat clapped a hand on his shoulder and beamed broadly. "My sympathies and condolences go out to those who have suffered in this tragedy. Though I cannot reverse the damage that has been done, I can begin to offer a way for those afflicted to rebuild. I have done so for the five former security guards and I shall do the same for those who now find themselves unemployed by this tragedy. You are not alone."

There was a smattering of applause from those assembled while Fritz smiled and waved. Aaron looked like he was barely holding it together. The seedy looking guy in the back, Jeremy could make out, looked rather pleased about something and the other guy had gone.

He took a couple of steps back, processing this new information. Now not only was his brother gone, but so was one of the places that had existed since his childhood, the job he had managed to get there and a man he had thought to be a pretty decent guy had been arrested for murder, possibly might be responsible for it.

"Jeremy? Are you okay?" Susie was gazing at him with concern. "I know it must be hard, for you and Anita especially so if you want to talk about it-"

"No! No, I'm good," he said in a would be casual voice. "I think I'm just gonna head home. No sense hanging around here."

He flashed them a smile and walked away the way he came from, giving a lingering look at the restaurant and the cars and people gathered outside. He needed to think about all of this. He walked away around the corner and stood at the bus stop to go home.

"Hey uh, kid?" Jeremy turned. It was that average-looking guy who had been with Fritz in the background. "You're Jeremy, right? I just wanted to say sorry, you know, about your brother. Must be rough."

"Thanks, I guess. But hey, I'll be alright," he murmured.

"Oh yeah, I know the feeling. It's natural, you know? Uh, it's part of the stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, all that stuff." Though it was said awkwardly, Jeremy could tell it was genuine. "It is rough, believe me. Give yourself time to mourn and find a way to move on."

"I know all that. What I'm saying is I can't believe that it was Mike who did it. Like, I worked with that guy, I talked to him and now…" He shook his head. "I don't even know what to think."

The guy nodded. "I don't blame you for feeling like that. Although I will say as well that they haven't officially confirmed that he really was behind it. You know, not everything is as it seems."

"Maybe not but I'll tell you how it seems," replied Jeremy, a little more anger in his voice. "My brother is dead and somebody is to blame. So if it's not Mike, then who is it?"

"I dunno. I honestly can't say. But I'm almost one hundred percent certain it wasn't Mike Schmidt that did it," answered the guy.

"Yeah, that's helpful. Thanks for that," replied Jeremy, beginning to walk away to a different stop.

"But are you one hundred percent certain he did?" called the guy.

Jeremy didn't look back, nor did he reply. He just kept on working just so he wouldn't have to admit the truth to the guy or to himself: no, he wasn't.

* * *

Arc of Carona: Happy birthday! Bit late at this point and my apologies.

MajorVidGamer: That it has.

TheGirlWhoShips: Welp, there's your answer to that.

Guest: You may guess but only time shall tell.

xXPinkMewXx: Indeed.

Spaghetti: I like to think my writing is something that's always improving. I thank you for your review and I hope to see more from you.

Monkey999Boy: Vivid.

StarryKnight1: Nor can I and I shall!

ArchineerRob: You clearly have never played these games XD

Inklings: Who says it will?

Guest: Not souls, no.

Auto-Buscus: That was the feeling I wanted to evoke.

ChickenNicker: You're welcome!

Alex: I know. Isn't it wonderful?


	13. Falling Down

**Falling Down**

Foxy had almost gone after Mike. The moment he had heard the officer's intentions to place his friend under arrest, he had nearly stepped out of his Cove with the intention to save him from their grasp. He'd faltered when he saw Freddy peering through the curtains, silently begging him to stop. He halted completely when he heard Goldie's voice in his head.

" _Foxy, no!"_ she ordered. _"Get back inside and stay there!"_

"But I-!"

" _Do it!"_

He gritted his teeth and flexed his fingers. Part of him was tempted to say blast it all and act anyway. But of course, the more he thought about it, the more the part of him that made him see sense won out. If he grabbed Mike, what would he do then? Would he fight off the police and take off into the night? Where would he go? Where could he hide? They wouldn't stop chasing them and he wouldn't be able to fight them forever.

So he retreated back behind his curtain, flinching when he heard his friend crying out his innocence of the crime he was accused of. He hated it but she was right.

They all stayed hidden away. First, there was the long, lingering silence that gave Foxy time to think on all that happened, however much he might not want to. He looked in the direction of the parts and services room, where he knew the remains lay. Rotting and stinking. To think that little Katie O'Malley, so spirted and fierce for one so young, was among them along with the four others. Children. Someone had done that to _children_ …

It made Foxy's blood boil, not only for the deed itself but for why it had been done. To strike at the heart of their home and bring them down. Not only that but it was clear to Foxy that Mike had been meant to take the fall. He was their guardian, one of the few who knew the truth and one of their few ties to the world outside. Getting rid of him was meant to weaken their resolve and strength. He'd always known that Sid Hawthorne was a gutless traitor but to know he had gone to such lengths for his own selfish purposes gave Foxy more than a few ideas of the fate richly deserved for him.

But all he could do was think about it, keeping silent when more police showed up and began their investigations. He watched them through the gap in his curtain while they took photos, took notes and asked questions. He wondered if they were going to come and look at them but he heard several times they were either unwilling or not allowed to go near him or the band, but especially him. Hushed, fear-filled tones were evident whenever they talked about him…

" _Everyone?"_ Goldie's voice resounded in his head. _"We need to talk. Go into an inactive state and I'll create a mental scape for us to convene. We're going to be here a while and there's a lot that needs to be discussed that has come to light."_

"Aye, aye," murmured Foxy, leaning against his ship and closing his eyes.

* * *

 _A moment later and he was no longer in the darkened Pirate Cove, but in the lush green grounds of some kind of mansion. It took Foxy a couple of seconds to recognise where they were. This was Goldie's preferred environment for them when they were still in training. Back when they had all been so full of hopes for the future, before everything had began to crumble all around them._

 _Goldie stood close by in her preferred form, a mature and muscular woman dressed in a golden tail coat, top hat and a cane. She smiled and nodded to him._

" _Thank you, Foxy." She looked around the digital environment. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"_

" _Aye, that it has," he agreed. "How are the others reacting ta this?"_

" _Well, Bonnie's the most reluctant to open her mind to me again as you can imagine but I'm hoping Freddy will be able to convince her otherwise," she replied. "I'm not sure what to say for Chica… this has been a great shock for us all but especially her."_

" _Poor lass. I'll see ta her meself when she appears," offered Foxy._

" _I think we all will. Ah, speaking of which."_

 _Foxy looked to see Freddy had materialised, striding over to them. Chica brought up the rear, her head bowed and her arms held close to her sides. Bonnie was the last to appear, looking quite apprehensive he could tell. Her foot was tapping and her ears were twitching._

 _Goldie waited for them to gather around. "Thank you all for coming. I know it's been quite a while since we've done this and the last time, well, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience."_

" _Yeah, that's one way of putting it," muttered Bonnie._

" _But I think we can all agree that, in the wake of recent events, that it's necessary we do this." She took a moment to gather herself. "I'm not going to lie to you. This is bad and with what I've just been learning about, it paints an even bleaker picture. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to know the details but…"_

" _Don't give us that," dismissed Bonnie. "You're the one that told us to come to dreamland because you had some stuff to tell us. We need to hear about it."_

" _Indeed, Bonnie," nodded Freddy. "Keeping us in the dark won't help improve the situation."_

" _I know," said Goldie quietly. She took a deep breath. "I've spoken with Aaron. At first, it was with the intention of what might happen but he had some things he wanted to confess. I'll go into more detail but I'll simply say as a precedent that… a lot of what transpired happened because of him."_

 _At this, Chica's head whipped up. "Y-You don't mean… the children, he wouldn't-!"_

" _No, Chica. He wasn't responsible for what happened to the children." She paused. "But he was responsible for allowing their remains to be hidden in the back room. You remember when my new suit was being delivered? That was when it happened. They stored the heads there at the same time. Along with that, they forced him to make a statement that would incriminate Mike and make his conviction easier."_

 _Like everyone present, Foxy was momentarily stunned at this revelation. Aaron Johnson, their friend and guardian from the moment they could first move, had betrayed them? Foxy had no idea how to feel about this. Well, aside from the very obvious one. The one that made him snarl and speak in a low, dangerous voice._

" _Why? Why'd he do it? He better have a good, damn reason!" he growled._

" _Foxy, calm down. I know how you must be feeling right now but you know Aaron. He wouldn't have done this unless he had no choice," replied Goldie. "They threatened his family. They used them to make sure he would cooperate."_

" _That does make his actions easier to understand but comprehending them is still… well, rather difficult," admitted Freddy._

" _I know," she murmured. "There's something else as well. Along with all of that, Aaron tells me that he was forced to sign the franchise rights of Freddy Fazbear's to Fritz Smith. A man that Sid Hawthorne has entered into business with._

" _No. Oh no, oh no." Chica looked terrified. "H-He's come for us!"_

" _But what does he need us for?! Weren't you talking about how he's got his own synths to play with now?" asked Bonnie._

" _We don't know that for absolute certain. Even if he does, he would still have something to gain by securing the four of you, along with me. We're the originals. Not only would he gain from a scientific standpoint, but it would ensure our existence wouldn't be a threat to him," reasoned Goldie._

" _It's not fair!" cried Chica. "Why couldn't he just leave us alone?! Our father, our home and Mike… they're all gone because of him!"_

" _Don't ye worry, lass. He's not goin' ta take us without a fight," declared Foxy, raising his hook hand. "If he even lays a finger on ye, I'll be bringin' 1987 back with a vengeance!"_

" _Foxy, while your determination is admirable, I fear that he would be ready for a fight if we were to give him one. Would I be right in assuming that, sister?" asked Freddy._

 _Goldie nodded. "I agree. For now, we're safe while the police are here. From what I've gathered, they're not allowed anywhere near us until certain specialists arrive and that won't be until tomorrow. So we wait here for now until night falls, then we make our escape."_

" _Where to?"_

" _Into the woods, dear brother. There's a place I know that should be relatively isolated and safe."_

" _We… have to leave our home too?" asked Chica quietly._

" _Yes, Chica, I'm afraid we do. I'm sorry." She was quiet for a moment. "I know the idea of this is quite intimidating for you all but I'm afraid Freddy Fazbear's is no longer safe. It's going to be hard leaving, but it's our only option." She smiled at them. "We'll work something out."_

* * *

They spent the rest of the day 'asleep'. They needed to gather as much strength as they could for their escape that night. Goldie acted as their alarm clock, alerting them when the police had gone. From there, they split up so they would be less noticeable moving around with Goldie directing them mentally. Freddy and Chica as one pair, Bonnie and Foxy as another, with Goldie travelling alone since her bulky form meant she had to take a more circuitous route to avoid being seen.

The two of them made their way in relative silence. They didn't have the time to stop and chat while they slipped around the streets or across the rooftops. There was a moment when Bonnie paused and Foxy stopped, sensing she was about to speak.

"Foxy? We're not gonna make it out of this one, are we?" she asked.

He thought for a while before answering. "We have ta hope we can. What else is there?"

She didn't respond to that. She only dipped her head and bounded to the next rooftop. Foxy followed after her, wishing he'd been able to say something more substantial.

They were the first to arrive. Foxy took a moment to note how different moving through a forest felt to the city streets and roofs. The ground was less even, it was darker and the buildings gave way to trees and leaves and plants. The sounds of birds and rustling in the undergrowth could be heard. He had to admit, it was quite peaceful.

They came across the rendezvous, a dilapidated looking building, overgrown with plant life. They exchanged a puzzled look with each other and went to have a closer look. They saw the faded posters of the golden bear and rabbit on the door.

"Wow. Guess this is where it all started, huh?" noted Bonnie. She squinted at Spring. "You know, I never said anything before but if Goldie is Freddy's sister, does that make this guy my brother?"

"I never thought about that. Not sure if I'd be lookin' ta be related ta him, Bon, given his history," said Foxy. "Yer bad enough without bein' crazy too."

"Oh right, thanks," she deadpanned. She gazed thoughtfully at it. "Still, makes you think. I'm not always the most stable of people when it comes to… you know. Maybe it came from somewhere."

"Hey." Foxy turned her to look at him. "Yer not like him, Bon."

She smiled slightly. "Thanks, dude."

"Aye, well us misfits stick tagether. Ye might be related ta a mentally unstable AI and I've bitten a man's head off. We're not perfect," remarked Foxy.

They sat together, waiting for the others. Not long after, Freddy and Chica arrived. The former looked at their meeting place with interest while the latter just looked tired.

"Well, this is somethin' I didn't expect," he said. "The very beginnin' of our humble history. I have to admit, I thought it would be a little bigger. Still, big things from little acorns grow."

"I don't think we were ever 'oak tree' big," remarked Bonnie. "We're more like, I dunno, a poplar tree or something. You know, not very big, not very small."

"But now the tree's been cut down," said Chica blankly. "It's all… it's all been…"

Like she had been holding it back this whole time, she sank to the ground and let the tears begin to fall. Bonnie was first to her side, placing an arm around her and helping her up.

"Hey, hey, Cheeks, it's okay. Come on, let's get inside at least." She led her into the diner and sat her at one of the tables, where they all gathered around. "I know. It sucks, it really does."

"Just… how? How could it all have fallen apart so quickly?" asked Chica, blinking through her tears. "I-I know things weren't the best b-but I genuinely thought… we would make it through, like always. But now… now I-I just don't know. How can we come back from this?"

Bonnie faltered. "I… I dunno, Cheeks. I just don't know. But hey, you never know."

"Indeed, Bonnie. I'm afraid I have no definite answer for you either, Chica," said Freddy. "The situation is very grim to say the least. I find it doubtful things will return to the way they used to be. But we can begin to make tracks towards resolving what has come to pass. Now that we are here, we can start to form a plan to work out strike back at Sid and get Mike back."

"Aye, now that sounds good ta me!" agreed Foxy heartily. "Hawthorne's goin' ta rue the day he decided ta tangle with us, I says!"

Chica looked at him. "You… really think we can do it?"

"There's a chance and that's all we need! Hey and here's somethin' I just thought of," he added. "Once we bring him down and expose him fer what he's done, we'd be hailed as heroes. Not only that, but we wouldn't have ta hide anymore if we did. We could be free!"

"That does seem a bit of an unlikely possibility." They turned to see Goldie had joined them. "But not impossible."

"Wow. Must be possible if you're admitting it. But hey yeah, I never thought about it that way," said Bonnie. "That'd be pretty awesome. We could do whatever we wanted."

"I know what I would do. Just seein' the sea isn't enough fer me. I want ta have the chance ta ride the waves, take a boat out and chart me course," said Foxy, gesturing widely with his hand. "Just me and the open sea. That and take another trip ta that arcade I went ta last time. I got a score ta settle with the undead!"

"An admirable goal," nodded Freddy. "I personally would like to see about taking up a sport and take a chance to be more active. I've been sat around in the dark for too long. Perhaps soccer or somethin' of the sort."

"I thought you'd be more of a football guy given your physique," noted Goldie.

"That might be next on the list," conceded Freddy. "What would you do, sister?"

She shrugged. "Well, my freedom would still be the same as it is now really. Maybe if I really wanted, I could walk around controlling one of the animatronics just to see how people react but I don't think I could get the same sort of sensation from it you all would."

"Oh right, of course. My apologies, Goldie, I quite forgot."

"Don't worry about it, Freddy. I'm past that," she said. "Come on then, what about the rest of you? Bonnie?"

Bonnie frowned thoughtfully. "I… I dunno, honestly. I've got a few ideas. Play my guitar from a rooftop. Try that, what's it called, free running or something? That seems pretty cool. Learn to play a new instrument like the saxophone. That'd be neat. Oh, go have a coffee!"

"Really?" asked Goldie.

"Yeah. I hear people talking about it all the time. I've only ever tried that crap in the break room and I wanna see if it's all the same or if there's anything better. Plus, it'd be nice to just sit and chill somewhere like that too," she added. "Anything you got in mind, Cheeks?"

"Well… this is going to sound silly, but…" She fiddled with one of her feathers. "No, no, it's too silly."

"Come on, don't hold out on us," said Bonnie encouragingly.

"Okay then." She took a breath and grinned. "I want to go to Disneyworld!"

Bonnie laughed. "Of course you do."

"Well, I do! I want to go there and I want to go to a castle and dress like a princess and sing and… oh, it would just be so wonderful!" she squealed. "And I'd also want to learn more things to cook, expand beyond pizza and see what else I can make. Maybe try and find a different way to be creative too. And…" She paused again, blushing this time.

"And?" prompted Foxy.

"And… I would ask Mike on a date." Though it was said quietly, it was with conviction. "A proper one this time. I know things have always been quite muddled with me and him, b-but I want to try again, for real this time. I know he does and… I know I want to as well."

"Well, I say fair winds ta ye both!" wished Foxy.

"Indeed," said Freddy. "I will admit there may not be much of a chance, but as you say, Foxy; a chance is all we need. If we stay together and we can come up with a plan, then we have that chance to-"

"Um, excuse me?" a new voice said. "Is anyone in there?"

They looked in its direction. It came from outside. It sounded small and tinny, like a child's. One by one, they all stood up and went to find its source.

A small boy stood at the entrance of the restaurant. On appearance, he seemed just a typical young child. A head of brown hair set atop a rosy cheeked face with a healthy glow, his blue eyes adding to his image of innocence. Not too fat, not too thin. What was odd were his clothes. Blue jeans and brown shoes less so, but a blue and red striped shirt with two large buttons and a matching propeller beanie hat. To Foxy, he looked like he had come from a circus, accentuated by the fact he was holding a balloon.

"Hello there, little one." Chica knelt down so she was eye level. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, miss," he replied brightly. "Wow, you're really here. Just like he said you would be. I really hope things don't get bad."

"Bad? Why would they get bad?" asked Chica.

"I don't know. I just hope they don't. Hold on. Hey guys! They're here!" he called out and turned back. "Sorry, I gotta go back."

He scampered back through the car park where four other figures were emerging from the forest. As they came closer and Foxy's eyes compensated for the darkness, he was able to make out more detail.

At the group's head was a rather rotund gent. He was dressed in a light brown suit with dark pinstripes, with a white shirt and bright red waistcoat peeking through the gap along with a black bowtie. A black top hat was set atop a head of bushy hair. The hair grew out into a rich beard and the man carried himself with an air of self-importance.

To his right was another with dark skin and even more wild hair, though his was jet black and nowhere near as carefully tamed and cut. It grew out rather matted and messy, like he didn't take good care of it and didn't care to do it either. In fact, with his faded black jeans and untucked shirt with loosely worn red bow tie, Foxy would guess he didn't really care much at all for his appearance or indeed much of anything. He dragged his feet along the ground and he looked about ready to drift off to sleep.

In contrast, one of the others seemed practically bursting with energy. Long, golden blonde hair flowed from her head which fluttered along behind her as she glided across the floor on roller skates with a perky smile. Her floaty white top also fluttered, emblazoned with the moniker 'Let's Party!' across it. Her waist was covered with pink short shorts and matching knee high woolly socks, like she'd rolled straight out of the 80s.

The last strode with purpose and even among these five, she stood out to Foxy. A sleeveless pink jacket contrasted with dark pants torn at the knees and high black boots, the jacket showing off toned arms with plenty of healthy muscle. Her pink hair was brushed over on one side of her face, covering one of her mascara-highlighted eyes and was shaved around the sides and back. A fierce glare was set on her face and it was directed at Foxy.

But then Foxy noted some particular features of the group, with the exception of the boy. Small brown ears on the chubby one. Blue furred rabbit ears from the apathetic looking guy. Feathers growing from the hair and as a tail of the 80s girl. Larger ears, one of which was pierced with two rings and a long bushy white tail from the goth girl.

"They're synths?" Bonnie murmured.

"It would seem so," replied Goldie.

For a few moments, the two parties stared at each other from across the car park.

"So!" The chubby one spoke in a clipped, upper class British accent. "Here you all are, as we knew you would be!"

"It would seem so," replied Freddy. "And may I ask who you are?"

"Not that it will matter, but are advanced synthetic lifeforms. Far more advanced than you, created by the venerable Sid Hawthorne. My name is Theodore. My associates and I have been sent to take custody of you renegades. Your presence is a threat to our very existence and will not be tolerated. Cry if you may, beg if you may, but it will be to no avail. For we will be victorious over you and we shall-!"

"For the love of god, Teddy, will you stop?" snapped the goth girl in an Irish brogue. "They're not looking to be bored to death."

Theodore spluttered. "H-How dare you, Vevina! What do you mean to do, undermining my authority in front of the enemy?! And don't call me Teddy!"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Look, sorry about him. But in all seriousness, you all have to come with us. We don't want to hurt you."

"Yeah, just make this easy for us," said the wild haired, dead eyed guy. "We just wanna get this done and go home."

"Aw come on, Clyde!" piped up the skater girl in a Brooklyn accent. "We're out here in the fresh air and open space. Let's try and have a little fun while we're here!"

"This isn't one of your stupid games, Hermana," Clyde replied dismissively. "Don't try and make it into one."

"You're no fun. I mean look, they're, like, our cousins or something! I mean, look at this!" She pointed frantically at Chica. "We could be sisters or something." She gasped. "What if we are sisters? Wouldn't that be neat?! Hi sis!"

"Um… hello," waved Chica unsurely.

"Oh my god, she said hi to me too! Hi again!" Hermana chirped. "Your dress looks so cute, I love it! Can I have it? Wait, no, it'd probably be too big for me. I mean, no offence but it's true. Ooh, maybe I can get it made for me. Whoa." Her eyes had settled on Foxy. "Hey Vev, I didn't know your brother was such a dish."

Foxy blinked. "A what now?"

"Hermana, she isn't your sister and he isn't my brother," said Vevina dismissively. "Let's stay focused here." She looked back at them. "Like I said, you all need to come with us. Please, let's make this nice and easy."

"Have you met me? I don't do nice and easy, especially not with lackeys of Hawthorne," said Bonnie defiantly.

"That goes double fer me," put in Foxy. "Yer not gettin' us. Not without a fight."

"Though I would prefer it wouldn't come to that," said Freddy. "You say you were sent here to find us? Well, what if you didn't? You could return to Sid and say we were not where you were told and we could leave. This doesn't have to end in violence."

"That would be nice," said Billy sincerely.

"Wouldn't it? We may not be true siblings, but we are synthetics, are we not?" reasoned Freddy. "The circumstances of our creations might be different, but there are truly no others like us in the world. I regret what has happened in the past but now we are together, perhaps we can find a way to coexist and live. I would personally be privileged to do so."

"So would I. I… would find it nice to have another sister," said Chica to Hermana.

Her eyes lit up in delight. "You would?!"

"I really would. I-I really like your hair. It's lovely," added Chica.

"Aw, thank you so much!" She looked to Theodore. "Oh please Teddy, can't we just be nice? Can we, can we, can we?"

"Oh do be quiet, you dolt!" he snapped. "I'm afraid that is out of the question, Frederick. We cannot let you go. We are to bring you back and that is precisely what we shall do. Don't think you can confuse us!"

"Very well then." Freddy drew himself up to full height. "Then you leave us no alternative."

"But… do we really have to?" asked Hermana weakly. "I don't wanna fight my sister."

"She is not your sister! Vevina is your sister!" said Theodore harshly. "You will do as you are told or-!"

"I'm not doing it," said Vevina flatly.

"Vevina! What are you doing?!" hissed Theodore.

"I said I'd help bring them in, but I never agreed to hurt them. They're like us, Ted. You can't tell me in good conscience that you want to fight them," she reasoned.

Theodore shook his head. "What I want or what you want doesn't matter! What matters is we do as we are bid or you know what will happen!"

"He'll take control," said Billy simply.

"Yeah, like we didn't already know that," said Clyde.

"Oh gawd." Hermana lost her bright smile and looked sadly at Chica. "Look sis, I'm really sorry, but he's right. We gotta do it. It's not nice when he takes control."

"Well, I don't care." Vevina folded her arms. "I'm not doing it."

"Vevvy, no!" begged Hermana. "It's like Billy said! If we don't do it, then he'll-!"

Before she could finish, the five of them suddenly clutched their heads and screamed. They struggled for a few moments against some force, Vevina especially putting up a spirited effort, writhing on the floor.

"Lass!" called out Foxy. "What is it, what's happenin'?!"

"No!" she growled. "I… am not… letting you-AGGGGH!" She arched her back and screamed, then stopped moving. After a few seconds, she stood up again, her eyes closed.

As one, they opened them. Foxy felt a chill when he saw what lay behind them. They were all the same: pitiless black voids, with a single pinprick of lining staring piercingly at them. They all looked to Goldie, who was scanning the group intently.

"So," said Goldie loudly, "it is you. I thought it might be."

"The thing that took control of you?" asked Bonnie.

"The same," she answered.

"This is your last chance." The five of them spoke in eerie unison. "You will come with us or you will be made to."

"I think not," replied Freddy firmly. "I don't know what exactly you are, but any entity who robs the free will of people is not one I would associate myself with."

"Then why do you stand with her?" asked Theodore, pointing at Goldie.

"Okay, I'm done with talking." Bonnie stamped a foot. "Let's try something else."

She sprinted at Clyde, bounded up into the air and brought her foot down towards his head. Any human would have been completely caught off guard with the speed and strength of her attack. Her opponent, however, wasn't human.

As such, Clyde caught her foot before it made contact and tossed her back. She landed hard on her back with a yell. She wasn't down for long, for she hopped back to her feet and into a ready stance as Clyde came to meet her. At the same time, Vevina moved towards her side.

"Bon, watch it!" Foxy darted forward, tackling into her hip to send her to the ground.

But she dug her feet in and pushed back, grabbing his arms and pulling. The sudden reversal of momentum caught Foxy off guard and she swung him around into a tree. He groaned from the impact, but reacted just in time to Vevina delivering a follow up punch. He moved his head aside, hearing the trunk crunch from the impact.

He backed slowly away from her, tensed and ready while she stalked toward him.

"Vevina? Are ya in there, lass?" he asked. "Ya said ya didn't want ta do this and ya don't have ta."

"I do what I must," she said in a blank voice. "You are dangerous. You are a threat. You must be…" She stopped, grimacing. Briefly, she lost the darkness in her eyes. "No… I won't… you can't make… no!" She hissed, her eyes returning to the same state. "You can't beat us. You can't resist."

Foxy didn't reply verbally. He grabbed a nearby heavy stick and whirled it like a sword. He swung it at Vevina who ducked and swiped one of her own, blocking his next blow. She went low and he danced out of the way, feinting to her right and landing a hit on her left, followed by one to the chest. She stepped back from the next swing to her head and threw her stick at him. Foxy knocked it aside but wasn't ready for her charging in and punching him in the stomach.

He doubled over. She grabbed the back of his head and punched upward, knocking him into the air and kicking him back into the car park. Foxy hit the ground hard, coughing a few times. He shook his head and took a quick glance around. The battles of his friends told a similar story.

Freddy and Theodore were engaged in a boxing match, but the latter was dealing out far more hard hitting blows to the former, who's own punches were becoming wild and unfocused. Clyde and Bonnie were springing off the trees and ground, trading blows in mid-air. But he kept catching her, sending her careening with extreme force into the earth. Goldie and Billy weren't fighting at all, merely watching the unfolding fights and each other intently.

Then he saw Chica. Hermana wasn't fighting with her, but toying with her. She skated around her, circling like a shark while Chica tried to either run or fight, a panicked and frantic look on her face. Whenever she tried anything, Hermana would knock against her with either a fist or a foot, making her scream in pain and fear.

"Please, stop it!" she begged. "Leave us alone, stop it!"

"Oh but sis, we're having so much fun!" Hermana cackled wickedly, smacking into her again. "Tag, you're it!"

"Chica!" cried Foxy, starting towards her. "Get away from her, ya bi-!"

He was cut off when Vevina kicked him in the back. He rolled onto it and sprang back up to face her, quickly exchanging his hook hand and slashing at her. He put her on the defensive for a bit, managed to get a close hit on her arm. But then she grabbed his wrist, twisted and held his arm behind his back. Foxy tried to break free, but she punched him hard in the side of the head twice.

Foxy could hardly focus, his eyes were blurred. The other fights were ending too. Hermana had Chica in an arm lock and on her knees. Clyde was pressing his foot into Bonnie's back while she was sprawled out on the floor. Freddy threw one last weak punch before Theodore hit him with a right hook and he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.

"This battle is over," said Theodore. "Now, you will come with us. All of you."

"Sid is only using you. You know that, right?" Goldie said. "He doesn't see you as people. He sees you as tools and you will be discarded once you've served your purpose."

"That doesn't matter," replied Clyde. "We will do as we are bid. It is our purpose. He has one for you all."

"Forgive me if I'm not keen on finding out," said Goldie.

"You do not have to join them, Golden," said Theodore.

"You have helped our cause. You were a valuable resource," said Clyde.

"I saw inside your mind," said Hermana. "I have seen your fondest desire. I can make it happen."

"Your own synthetic body. All you have to do is join us. We have a place for you," said Vevina.

"What is your answer?" asked Billy.

Foxy watched Goldie. She stood there, unmoving, clearly taking time to process her response. Foxy could imagine this must sound very tempting for her. For a moment, he thought she would actually take them up on it.

"No," she said at last. "I won't be your puppet, not again. I would rather die."

"As you wish," they all said in unison.

Billy was the one who strode toward her. She shifted to a ready stance and raised a foot to stomp on him. Billy dodged it easily and slammed his elbow into the back of her knee joint, forcing her to kneel. It didn't deter her. She directed her fist at him but he caught the arm and tore it off, the joints sparking. Foxy heard her grunt in pain, but she got herself to her feet again.

Foxy tried another attempt to break his captor's grip but she twisted and held him back. He snarled at her, but Vevina didn't relent. All he and the others could do was watch as Goldie prepared to fight again.

But Billy didn't wait for her to attack. He tackled her knee and twisted, shattering it and bending it backward, sending her to the ground again. Before she could act, he grabbed the sides of her head and wrenched it from its joint. The body fell, lifeless and still while Billy slammed her head onto the ground.

"Goldie, no!" Freddy cried. "Leave her alone, please!"

"Freddy… everyone," she said weakly. "I'm… sorry. Be brave."

She didn't have the chance to say anything else before Billy's fists crashed down on her head and split it down the centre. He ripped and tore it apart until there was little left but bits of suit head and electronic parts.

"We are done here," said Theodore blankly. "Let us return. Our creator will be pleased with our performance."

None of them struggled anymore. None of them tried to escape. They all let themselves be dragged away, leaving only the empty remains of Fredbear's Family Diner and the shattered remnants of its former star in the cold, empty woods.

* * *

Arc of Carona; No one here was.

MajorVidGamer: He basically wanted to prove himself. These small town cops don't really see this kind of action often. Still a jerk though.  
You do remember correctly.

NickPol: You get your chapters when I say you do and not before XD

Neon lololol: Hasn't it just? I'm really quite proud of it.

Guest: That would be grand wouldn't it?

Guest: As you can see, it wasn't.

Auto-Buscus: I will simply say this: check the name of the security guard for Five Nights 2.  
Also hate to be that guy, but it's 'stake' not 'steak'. I think after all that's happened, no one's gonna be hankering for steak XD

ArchineerRob: No such luck here I'm afraid.

Guest: Sorry to sink your ship.

ChickenNicker: I do aim to please and I do love me some foreshadowing.  
What Sid will do with the synths will remain to be seen until next time. Or at least till I message you about it XD  
It's pretty messed up.  
Don't worry about it, just good to hear from you.

Ari-Dexel13: :)


	14. Hope

**Hope**

In a small, relatively tidy apartment, a man sat alone. Though it was the middle of the day, he had the curtains drawn. The only light in the room came from the glow of his computer monitor as he surfed various different sites, mainly the ones talking about what had transpired at his former work place. He took another sip from his drink before leaning back in his chair and pinching his forehead.

Brad had a hard time believing all that had happened. It was kind of amazing how much things had fallen apart in just a single day, if that. Just yesterday, he had a job, friends and a real sense of importance and responsibility from the place he worked for. Now, it was all gone.

Freddy Fazbear's was gone. The place that had given him a second chance when life had completely knocked him flat. Gone…

He felt like a failure. Aaron Johnson hadn't just hired him to work the front desk. When it had come to light that Brad had a way with computers, he had also recruited him to help control the nasty rumours and stories that circulated the restaurant. It was a fine line he danced a lot of the time, working out which ones to suppress and which ones that could be left alone safely or even cultivated to give it some healthy notoriety. Because who didn't like a good ghost story?

Those five guards especially had been a handful. They were determined to spread the bad stuff as much as they could. It had taken ten different anonymous accounts on several different forum discussion sights to keep them down. Now apparently, those guys had been employed by this new restaurant that was opening up? To Brad, that seemed kind of messed up.

Really, the whole thing in general was really messed up. He couldn't help but notice that out of everyone that had been offered new jobs at the place, he wasn't one of them. That fact made him nervous. Did they know about his secret level of involvement at Freddy's and felt he would be more of a liability? It sounded like the beginnings of some crazy conspiracy, but that was honestly what it felt like. It didn't help that Mike had been thrown in jail as a result of it all.

Poor guy, Brad thought. He remained convinced that there was no way Mike could have done anything to those kids. He knew the moniker that it was always the one you least suspected, but Mike just didn't seem to fit the bill as a child murderer. But if Mike didn't do it, then who was responsible?

"I dunno," Brad answered himself aloud. "It would take a smarter guy than me to work it out." He looked over at something in the corner. "Least I got this."

He spent a while staring at the old mascot head, the one Johnson told him was from Freddy's back when it was still called Fredabear's. He remembered those days. Remembered being there for that party, on that fateful day, almost like this one. When, because he'd been an idiot, his friend had been…

Brad shut his eyes and hissed as the flashes of memory plagued his mind once more. The screaming. The yelling. He pushed it down, focusing on other thoughts and turned his attention back to the monitor. He had to figure out what he was going to do next, if there was some way he might be able to fix things. It was a long shot but he had to try something.

Little did Brad know what he would have seen if his attention was still directed at the relic. Had he not been concentrating on the screen, he would have heard a faint whirring coming from the head. Had he continued staring at the head, he would have seen the faint golden glow begin to flicker in its empty eyes.

Faint. Very faint. But still very much present…

* * *

 **And that's the end of that for now!**

 **First of all, let me offer once again my sincerest apologies for leaving this so long. I just got out of the routine for writing it and from then on, it was hard to get back into it. I am so glad I did though because it was so worth seeing it through.**

 **Secondly, a massive thank you to all of my reviewers and readers, new and old. For those that stuck at it and waited and came back when I resumed my updates. You are all awesome and this story would be nothing without you.**

 **Now having reached the end of this one, I will once again be taking a necessary break between instalments. I need to actually plan out the overall structure and individual chapters for the next one before I can start writing it. Not really sure how long it'll be but I promise I will try not to keep you all waiting too long for it. But I do have other things such as life in general, as well as other writing projects too.**

 **But I'm not abandoning this and have no plans to. I aim to see these through to the end, however long it may take.**

 **If you want to tie yourselves over in the meantime, go check out the page of MarbleHornettes for a Doctor Who fanfiction I've been working on with a friend of mine, if you are so inclined.**

 **For now, I bid you farewell until next time. Got any questions or just wanna say hi, feel free to send me a message.**

 **Be strong, be swift, be just.**

 **Alpha.**


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